Silently Tormented
by Castiel'sHunter10
Summary: Layla Jackson is a mute SHIELD agent with a dark past. When she and one of her partners are assigned to protect the Tesseract, it all goes wrong. What happens when she discovers that the villain of their story is under the same spell as the others? - All rights go to Marvel Studios and Joss Whedon. The characters do not belong to me - The cover image is not mine -
1. Chapter 1

"Layla! Wake up!" I heard someone yell through my bedroom door. I groaned and sat up. I blinked the sleep out of my eyes and got out of bed. Shuffling to the door in my socks, I opened it and was almost blinded by the bright lights of the hallway. Clint stood in the hall wearing a skin-tight black shirt and jeans with a leather jacket with the SHIELD symbol on the lapel. His hair was neatly combed and spiked up in his usual style. "Hey, nice PJs." He grinned, gesturing my black tank top and Hello Kitty pajama pants. I rolled my eyes.

" _Yeah, yeah, what do you want?"_ I signed. I've been mute my whole life. When I joined SHIELD, I was taught sign language for just about every word in existence by Clint and Natasha, who are like older siblings to me.

"Did you forget we have a meeting with the Director in 10 minutes?" he asked, looking at his watch. I gasped and face-palmed. Clint chuckled. "It's fine, Lay! Just get dressed and meet me out here." He instructed. I nodded and shut the door. I went to my closet and grabbed my agent suit. After slipping on the flexible suit and pulling on my tall black boots, I went to the bathroom and brushed my long black hair. I looked into the mirror. Bright green eyes against a pale face looked back at me. Sighing, I pulled the small loops at the end of my long leather sleeves around my middle fingers comfortably and ran out of the room. Clint was waiting, leaning against the wall next to his room, which was in front of mine. I gestured for him to lead the way. I've lived on this ship since they found me 4 years ago in a New York alley and I still don't know my way around. We started walking to Director Fury's office. When he wasn't a huge stick in the ass, he was like a father to me. I looked over at Clint and he looked back at me. I shrugged my shoulders and gave him a quizzical look.

"We are 2 of the 3 of the best agents in SHIELD. Nat's on another mission, so it's just us. All I know is that we're being set out for a security detail. Don't know anything other than that." Clint explained, looking back in front of him. I nodded and did the same. We walked quietly to Fury's office. When we got to the door, Clint hit the button to open it. It opened with a slight rush of air. Fury sat at his paper-crowded desk in his bland office, nothing personal in sight. He looked up when we entered. "Director?" Clint asked, me staying my usual silence. We stood at attention as he stood up.

"Agent Barton, Agent Jackson. I have an extended mission for you two. The 2 of you will be at one of our secret research facilities on security. The details are on tablets in your quarters. Your jet is leaving in 3 hours. Pack up and meet me up there. Dismissed." he ordered. Clint and I saluted and left. When the door closed behind us, Clint turned to me. "You want to go get breakfast? Then we'll get ready?" he questioned. I nodded and we made our way to the cafeteria. We grabbed our normal breakfasts of eggs, bacon, and pancakes and went to our normal table. "So, what do you think Fury wants us to protect?" he asked as we sat down.

" _I don't know. The real question is why us? Why did he choose us for a security detail?_ " I signed.

"I have no clue. Must be a big deal." he shrugged. We continued to talk and sign until we both finished our food. We walked back to our neighboring rooms. My room had dark grey walls and light grey carpet. I had a dark green bed in the middle of the back wall with a metal nightstand next to it, a bookshelf in the corner on the left of the bed, and a bathroom/walk-in closet on the right. Since I was one of the lucky agents with a window, sunlight reflected off a spot on my bed. A black tablet sat on my forest green bed. I strolled over to it and picked up the light device. Sitting with my legs folded underneath me, I faced the window on my bed and turned on the tablet and typed in my password. A picture popped up on the screen that made me gasp in awe. There was a glowing, bright blue, cube. It had swirling colors of blue and white inside it. Apparently, it was called the Tesseract. Some Asguardian treasure. Found in 1942 by HYDRA; World War II; Captain America; Howard Stark. Everything on the Tesseract's database. I started to read about the scientists on the project. I was so focused on reading; I didn't notice my door open.

"RAAAH!" Someone yelled behind me. I squeaked and felt myself go invisible. Swinging around, I saw Clint rolling on the floor laugh. I scoffed and kicked him playfully. I turned visible again and crossed my arms over my chest as I sat on the bed. After about 5 minutes, he finally got up and sat next to me.

"Sorry, Lay! I couldn't help it! Natasha said I sucked at being stealthy." Clint explained. I rolled my eyes.

 _"Yeah, Yeah. So funny, Hotshot. Did you read the tablet?"_ I asked.

"Did you?" He answered with a question.

" _Yeah? Did you?"_ I repeated.

"You did. Then I did. You can give me a run-down later." He smiled. I rolled my eyes.

" _Anyway. Lets get packed_." I signed, getting up.

"Right. I'll be back in 30 minutes. Then, if you want, we can go train." he told me, jogging out the door. I smiled and walked to my closet, pulling out my duffle bag. I stuffed a few uniforms, pajama pants with tank tops to match, a couple sets of workout clothes, undergarments, my make-up and other necessary toiletries in the bag. Throwing the full bag onto my bed, I walked over to my nightstand. I pulled open the drawer where my weapons were stocked. I buckled my weapons belt loosely around my waist and strapped my thigh holsters to my upper leg. Securing my guns inside them, I brought out my knives and hid them in their hiding spots. At the bottom of the drawer, was a picture. It was of my older sister and my so-called parents. All dead. Memories rushed before my eyes. 'No, I can't have one of my episodes right now.' I squeezed my eyes shut and slammed the drawer shut. I opened them a moment later and checked the time. I still had 10 minutes before Clint would come strolling into my room. I walked to my bookshelf, which had transparent windows covering the books in case the ship jerked. Skimming through the titles, a certain one caught my eyes. I pulled open the window and plucked it off the shelf. It was pretty big and looked interesting. I jumped onto my bed, lay on my stomach, and started to read. A few chapters in, I was faintly aware of a knock on my door. Groaning, I rolled off the bed and jogged to answer the door. Clint stood there with his quiver on his back, bow in hand.

"You ready?" he asked. I held up a finger, indicating I needed a second. I dashed back to my bed and put the book in my duffle bag. Clint chuckled behind me.

"Good book?" he questioned. I nodded and smiled.

" _It's awesome!"_ I signed, passionately. He laughed again.

"C'mon, bookworm. Lets go shoot things!" he exclaimed, pumping a fist into the air. It was my turn to laugh as we left the room. We walked to the large training room. For the next 2 hours, we shot our bows, our knives, our guns, and a bunch of other weapons.

" _Clint. Time?"_ I signed. He looked at his watch and sighed.

"Almost time. Let's go get our stuff," he said. We were almost out the door before Clint blindly shot at a target several feet away. Bulls-eye. "Yes!" he cheered. I rolled my eyes and smiled.

" _Show off_." I signed.

"What? You jealous?" he teased as we jogged to our rooms. We went in and out of the rooms and met back in the hall. We made our way to the deck and easily spotted the Director. He stood by a quinjet, observing the other agents running around him.

"Director Fury." Clint saluted as we approached and stood in front of him.

"Agents. You two ready to go?" he asked us.

"Yes, sir." Clint answered for both of us.

"Very well. Good luck." he stated, stepping aside. We saluted and walked up the ramp. We threw our bags in the back.

"I call flying!" Clint yelled as we were closing the ramp. I snapped my fingers.

" _Damnit_." I signed when he looked at me. He laughed as he sat in the pilots seat. I sat next to him and we put our headsets on. We got the all clear and we took off. It was clear skies the whole day of flying and we got to our destination that night. We landed the jet and exited. A guard was waiting for us.

"Agents Barton and Jackson?" he asked as we approached.

"That's us. Where are we going?" Clint asked.

"Right this way." the guard turned and led us to a large room. The roof was mostly girders, with a few catwalks and large dome in the center. In the middle of the room, a large device was set up, holding a bright blue light. It must be the Tesseract. Farthest away from us, a platform with panels curving into a sphere sat. Rows of computers were set up on our side. Numerous scientists were shuffling about, but one man seemed different. The guard led us to him. He was sort of plump in a plaid shirt tucked into his slacks.

"Dr. Selvig?" the guard asked as we stopped behind him. The doctor turned away from the computer he was working on and turned to us.

"Oh, hello. You must be the 2 agents stationed here." he stated, walking over.

"Clint Barton, aka Hawkeye." he introduced, shaking Selvig's hand.

"Erik Selvig." the doctor responded. He turned to me and shook my hand, expectantly. I looked to Clint, who got his cue.

"This is Layla Jackson, aka Silence." Clint told him.

" _Its nice to meet you, Doctor_." I signed, praying he knew sign language.

"Nice to meet you, too, Miss Jackson." he smiled, sympathetically. Damn. I hate that look.

"So what are we here for, Doc?" Clint questioned. The doctor looked annoyed at first, but motioned us to follow him.

"This is the Tesseract. Director Fury hired me to study it and figure out the usual questions- Is it dangerous? or What does it do? You guys are basically here to make sure nothing happens when I'm not in the room." he explained.

"Okay, we'll be here tomorrow morning." Clint told the doctor. Next thing I knew, Clint had my arm and was dragging me out the door. I smiled as he led me up a few flights of stairs and through a large door. He pulled me onto a metal catwalk with yellow safety bars.

"Oh, yes." Clint smirked, looking down. I laughed as he admired the view.

"Layla. This is going to be fun."


	2. Chapter 2

It's been 6 months. 6 freaking months. Finally something interesting is happening. A couple nights ago, the Tesseract began throwing off flares of light. It must've been bad because the scientists were going off in a panic. Right now, Clint and I were in our nest. Our eyes were glued to the people moving about. Agent Coulson had gone upstairs to meet Director Fury and Agent Hill. While we were watching, I spotted Fury enter the large room. He started talking to Doctor Selvig. After Selvig filled Fury in, we saw him jab a finger back at us.

"Agent Barton, Agent Jackson. Report." We heard in our earpieces. At the same time, Clint and I jumped up and slid down the two ropes we installed to the railing. Fury met us half way.

"I gave you two this detail so you could keep a close eye on things." He told us, as we walked.

"Well, we see better from a distance." Clint reminded him, his tone professional.

"Have you seen anything that might set this thing off?" Fury questioned, pointing to the object in front of us.

"Doctor, it's spiking again." A female doctor called. Selvig rushed over to her computer.

"No one's come or gone. And Selvig's clean. No contacts, no IMs. If there was any tampering, sir, it wasn't at this end." Clint explained, the three of us standing behind the Cube. Fury looked at us, concern creasing his features.

"'At this end?'" he asked.

"Yeah, the Cube is a doorway to the other end of space, right? Doors open from both sides." Clint informed him. At this, I was starting to get worried.

"Not yet." I heard Selvig murmur to himself. Before I could question it, the Cube burst out with energy. I felt the ground vibrate underneath me. The Cube started to roar like an engine before shooting a beam of energy towards a platform. Clint, and I slowly pulled out our guns. A large blue cloud of color was expanding over the platform. It then burst, sending waves of brilliant blue light all around it, the waves going up the walls and collecting in the domed roof. My hair was down so it was blown back. I looked back at the platform and something caught my eyes. A kneeling figure, surrounded with blue light, was there. The man looked up, an evil smirk on his face. He stood. His looks made me gasp slightly. He wore green, black, and gold armor that looked as if it weighed a ton. His hair was black, slicked down to the bottom of his neck. His facial features were sharp and angular. Sweat gleamed on his skin. Holding a gold scepter, he looked around the room, menacingly.

"Sir, please put down the spear." Fury ordered. The man looked down at it as if it was the first time he saw it before shooting some kind of energy at us. Clint pushed Fury down as I jumped the opposite way. The man took down soldiers, throwing knives and shooting beams of light. Clint and I opened fire but our bullets didn't affect him. He fired at Clint and I but we jumped out of the way, away from each other.

"Layla!" Clint cried as I hit my head on a table. My vision blurred and I tried to stand up. I turned invisible and propped myself against a wall. When I got my vision back, I saw the strange man hold his scepter to Clint's heart. I gasped as blue power flowed through the veins in his neck to his eyes. They turned black before color collected where his pupils were, turning them Tesseract blue. By now, tears flowed out of my eyes. I growled and charged the man. Somehow he sensed me coming, turning just as I was about to attack, grabbing me by my neck. I turned visible and struggled against his grip. I looked at him, our eyes locked. His face went slack for a moment, his blue eyes flickering to an emerald green before going back to blue. He snarled and threw me across the room. I hit the wall, hard on my arm. Ignoring the intense pain, I turned invisible and searched for Fury. He was getting the Tesserct in a briefcase. Holding my injured arm, I dashed over to him. Staying invisible, I tapped his shoulder. He must've known it was me because he closed the case and turned to the door.

"Please don't," a silky, accented voice called. Fury and I both knew it was the stranger. "I still need that," he told us.

"This doesn't have to get any messier." Fury compromised.

"Of course it does. I've come too far for anything else." He said. Fury and I turned, but I'm not sure he knew I was there.

"I am Loki, of Asgard, and I am burdened with glorious purpose." For some reason, I wanted to talk to him. I've never talked or wanted to talk to anyone before.

"Loki, brother of Thor." Selvig realized, the body of the female doctor beneath him. Loki glared at him.

"We have no quarrel with your people." Fury said, holding a hand up.

"An ant has no quarrel with a boot." Loki said, slyly.

"Are you planning to step on us?" Fury asked, starting to get angry.

"I come with glad tidings of a world made free." Loki smiled, walking closer to Selvig, who stood in shock.

"Free from what?" Fury asked. I stood in front of him, protectively.

"Freedom. Freedom is life's great lie. Once you accept that, in your heart," he turned quickly to Selvig, and tapped him with his scepter. His eyes turned blue like the others. "You will know peace." He continued.

"You mean 'peace', but I kinda think you mean the other thing." Fury said back.

"Sir, Director Fury is stalling. This place is about to blow and drop a hundred of rock on us. He means to bury us." Clint spoke up blankly, walking over to Loki.

"Like the pharaohs of old." Fury acknowledged.

"He's right. The portal is collapsing in on itself. We've got maybe two minutes before this goes critical." Selvig confirmed.

"Well, then." Loki said, turning to Clint. He pulled out his gun and fired at Fury. But I was in front of him. I felt the pain in my side moments later, everyone looked confused. I felt myself turn visible and I fell to the ground. I heard another gunshot and Fury fell as well. Loki and his soldiers walked past us, taking the briefcase. I caught Loki's eyes again and they flickered to the green again. That's very odd. Fury sat up, talking into his earpiece.

"Hill, do you copy? Barton has turned." He yelled, pulling the bullet out of his bulletproof vest. He looked down at me, his eye full of concern. "Layla. Come on, you'll be ok. We have to get out of here." He comforted me. He grabbed my hand and helped me up. I wrapped my arm around the wound tightly. He grabbed my other hand and we started to run. My side hurt like hell but I had to get out of here. "They have the Tesseract! Shut them down!" Fury yelled into a walkie-talkie. He led me to the roof, where a helicopter was waiting. The Director helped me on and it started to fly it off the roof just as the building started to collapse. A lone car was speeding through the desert. I knew it was Loki and we flew over to it. Fury pulled open the door after putting the chopper on autopilot. He started to shoot the car but Loki fired a burst of energy that hit the copter. It plummeted towards the ground. Thinking the same thing, we jumped out and tumbled onto the ground. We got up and Fury started to shoot at the car but gave up. I was starting to get dizzy from blood loss.

"Director? Director Fury, do you copy." Phil's voice called through Fury's walkie.

"The Tesseract is with a hostile force. I have men down. Hill?" he questioned.

"A lot of men still under. Don't know how many survivors." Hill reported.

"Sound the general call. I want every living soul not working rescue looking for that briefcase." He ordered. I stood by him. I saw a SHIELD car coming towards us in the far distance.

"Roger that." Hill responded.

"Coulson, I think we see you. Meet us here. Agent Jackson is wounded and needs medical attention. This is a level 7. As of right now, we are at war." He told the other 2 listeners. My vision blurred and red rimmed the edges of my line of sight.

"Director, I think its time." Coulson said. Before I could ask for what, my legs gave way. Fury turned to me and grabbed me before I hit the ground. I heard the engine of a car and a door slamming shut. Phil's face entered my sight. He was yelling something but I couldn't understand. Slowly, darkness took over my vision.

Thank you all for reading this story! In case there's any readers from Quotev, I am the original author of this story and I have decided to post it to a new site. Thank you and I love you all. 3


	3. Chapter 3

"Layla?" a voice asked. My eyes fluttered open to see the white ceiling of a SHIELD medical room. I looked towards the sound of the voice. There, sitting next to my bed, was Phil Coulson. I sat up, an immense pain shooting through my side. "It's okay, Layla. You're safe." He said, jumping up and helping me lay back down.

" _What happened?"_ I signed, looking up at him. He stood by my side, resting a hand on my arm.

"You got hit defending Director Fury. We brought you to the helicarrier. Had the bullet removed and the wound bandaged. You almost dislocated your shoulder." He explained. So it wasn't a dream.

" _So Clint's gone?"_ I signed.

"We'll get him back. I promise." He said. I looked at my clothes and gasped. I was in a sports bra and sweatpants. Quickly, I turned invisible. "Layla? Damn it." He quickly turned on his headset. "Hill? I need you to bring Layla one of her SHIELD suits from her closet, immediately." He ordered. Few people knew my secret, my past. Only Clint, Natasha, Phil, and Nick. No one else knows and no one else ever will. "Layla, do you remember the Avengers Initiative?" Phil asked. Too ashamed of the scars covering my abdomen, I gently took his hand and made a thumbs-up. "We're bringing in the Avengers. You are going to fight with them, along with Natasha and Clint, when we get him back." He told me. At that, the door opened to reveal Agent Hill, holding my uniform. She handed it to Phil before leaving the room. He gave it to me and I pulled my old clothes off and slipped it on. After I was fully dressed, I turned visible. I held my elbow self- consciously and looked to see Phil looking at me, expectantly.

" _So where are they?"_ I signed, after looping my sleeves.

"Natasha is getting Banner and you're accompanying me to get Stark. Thor is in Asgard. Guess who Fury's bringing!" he suddenly squealed. I shrugged my shoulders, showing I didn't know. "Captain America himself!" he smiled, acting like a child on Christmas. I chuckled at that.

" _When do we leave?"_ I signed.

"As soon as the doctors clear you. It wasn't a terrible wound. It'll be sore and will leave a small scar." I flinched at that. Another one to add to my collection. Phil gave me a sorrowful look just as the doctor came in.

"Good news, Agent Jackson. The tests are all good. You can go but don't work yourself to hard." He told me. I nodded and Phil led me out of the room. Phil let me stop by my room to do my hair and makeup. I simply brushed my hair and parted it off center, causing a fringe over my right eye. I put on my eyeliner and did a slight smoky eye. When I was done, we walked into a quinjet and I looked to Phil.

"You can pilot a jet, can you?" he asked, smiling softly at me.

" _I always am with Clint or Tasha but I might be able to_." I signed, nervously grabbing the headset that sat on the pilot's seat. He fell into the copilot's chair and put his headset on. I took a deep breath and performed the take off procedure. Once we were in the air, Phil set the coordinates for Stark Tower in New York City. We got there in about an hour. We landed at an airfield near the outskirts of New York City and a SHIELD car was waiting for us. Phil drove us to the tower, which was now brightly lit, with STARK in diamond colored lights at the top. God, that guy sure has an ego. Phil called Stark's number and we saw the Iron Man suit landing at the top of the tower. Entering the building, we stepped into the elevator and Phil overrode JARVIS' protocol to talk to the stubborn billionaire.

"Mr. Stark, we need to talk." He said. We were almost to the top floor.

"You have reached the life model decoy of Tony Stark. Please leave a message." Stark replied.

"This is urgent." Phil countered.

"Then leave it urgently." The other man said, just as the elevator doors opened.

"Security breach. It's on you." He said, pointing to a strawberry blonde I assumed was his assistant Pepper Potts.

"Mr. Stark." We both walked in, me lingering in the back.

"Phil, come in." Pepper smiled, getting up and walking over to us.

"We can't stay."

"Yeah, his first name is Agent." Stark told Pepper.

"Come on in, we're celebrating." Pepper said.

"Which is why they can't stay." Stark replied, giving Phil a forced smile. Pepper looked to me and smiled.

"I don't believe we've met. I'm Pepper." She shook my hand.

" _I'm Layla_." I signed a hopeful smile on my face. By the confused look she gave me, I knew she didn't understand sign language. Sighing sadly, I looked up at Phil.

"This is Agent Layla Jackson. She's mute and the only way she can communicate is through sign language." Phil explained. I looked down, shamefully and tucked a lock of hair behind my ear. I felt an unfamiliar hand on my shoulder and I looked up to see Stark smiling sympathetically at me. Sympathy. Gross. Phil turned to Stark and handed him a tablet. "We need you to look this over."

"I don't like being handed things."

"That's fine because I love to be handed things so lets trade." Pepper negotiated, taking the tablet and switching Stark's glass of champagne with the device.

"Official consulting hours are between 8 and 5 every other Thursday." Stark said, not wanting to do this.

"This isn't a consultation." Phil smirked.

"Is this about the Avengers?" Pepper asked suddenly, making Phil and I look at her. "Which I know nothing about." She covered quickly as Stark walked down the steps toward a worktable close to the wall-sized windows.

"The Avengers Initiative was scrapped, I thought. And I didn't even qualify." Stark explained.

"I didn't know that either." Pepper said, looking at Phil and I.

"Apparently I'm volatile, self-obsessed, don't play well with others." Stark smirked while typing in his password.

"That I did know." Pepper smiled. This caused me to softly giggle and she looked to me, her smile growing bigger.

"This isn't about personality profiles anymore" Phil stated as Stark began looking at the tablet.

"Whatever. Miss Potts, got a second?" he questioned, not looking up from the tablet.

"Half a mo." Pepper told us, walking to Stark. Phil and I stood where we were, watching the couple talk under their breaths. Stark brought the videos of each Avenger in action onto holographic screens. They looked back at us a couple times. I decided to mess with them a bit. Smirking, I turned invisible. Phil noticed and covered up a chuckle with a quick cough. I quietly made my way to the two people and silently sat on the table. They had just finished talking and Pepper was walking toward Phil. She stopped suddenly looking around.

"Where did Layla go?" she asked Phil, still looking for me. Phil just shrugged his shoulders.

"I think she's demonstrating her power." He smiled, causing Stark to look over at him.

"She has a power? What is it?" he questioned. Turning visible, I tapped his shoulder and he jumped away.

"What the hell?" he gasped. Phil and I started laughing as he caught his breath.

"So you're mute and you can turn invisible. Are you a ninja in another life?" He joked. I nodded. I jumped off the table and as I walked past Stark, I punched his arm. "Ow!" he exclaimed. I jogged over to Phil and stood by his side. Pepper walked over to us.

"Any chance you guys are stopping by Laguardia?" she asked, leading us to the exit.

"We can drop you." Phil told her, motioning for me to follow.

"Fantastic. And I want to hear about the cellist. Is that still a thing?" she asked Phil.

"She moved back to Portland." He replied, a slight sadness in his tone.

"What? Boo!" she groaned. We exited the tower and got in the car. We dropped off Pepper where she needed to be and went to our private airfield. I piloted the jet and we flew back to the helicarrier. When we landed, I tapped Phil's arm, causing him to look at me.

" _What about Stark? We just left him."_ I signed, questionably.

"He'll come. He'll probably join for the ego boost of being on a superhero team." Phil smiled. I laughed and we walked across the large landing pad.

" _When are Nat and Dr. Banner getting here_?" I signed.

"They should be here tomorrow morning. I'll be going to get Captain Rogers!" he exclaimed. I laughed again at his excitement. By now we were in the base, heading to our rooms.

" _You're such a fanboy for someone of you're age."_ I signed, smirking at him.

"That's something you say to an old person." He grinned. At that, I looked at him with an eyebrow raised. We stopped in front of my room. "Good night, Layla." He smiled softly. I pulled him in for a hug and he kissed my forehead.

" _Good night, Phil Bill_." I signed. He chuckled at the nickname and walked down the hall towards Director Fury's office. I entered the room and closed the door behind me. I took a deep breath and let it out shakily. The events of the past 2 days attacked my mind. Clint being captured. Waking up in the hospital. Loki. Suddenly, right when I thought of him, a piercing pain shot through my head. I slid down my wall and put my head in my hands. Why was this happening? Images of the stunning man flashed through my mind. When I opened my eyes, the pain was gone but the imprint of Loki before my eyes never left. He was truly mesmerizing but there was something about him that I couldn't place exactly. I felt some how drawn to him, like some kind of connection. Pushing the thought out of my head, I slowly got up off the floor. I went to my closet and pulled out a pair of dark blue sweatpants and a tight T-shirt. Before I put them on, I made sure my door was locked. I crawled into bed and pulled the forest green blankets up to my chin and curled the end around my hand. Slowly, I fell asleep to the slight pain of the wound in my side and the unstoppable image of Loki seared into my mind.

Chapter three for you lovely people. 3


	4. Chapter 4

_I was sleeping. Not in a bed, I've never had the luxury to sleep in one. I slept in a cardboard box, in an alley in New York City. My old clothes were crusty with my own blood. My hair was a tangled mess and my bare feet were caked with dirt. Lovely home for an 18 year old girl right? My box was small, so when I slept, I turned invisible so no one could see my shameful form. Numerous scars covered my body from many beatings. I used the small bag with my few belongings as a pillow. The sun was rising, casting and orange glow on my box. I opened my eyes and gave out a yawn. Stretching, I moved around, hearing the satisfying pop of my joints. I sat up and turned visible. I scanned the alley before grabbed my bag. I pulled out a bag of crackers and popped a few in my mouth. Savoring the taste, I put them back in the bag. It only contained a small amount of food, a book, hygiene products, and a picture of my so-called family. Suddenly, I heard a noise. Turning invisible, I looked toward it. There were 3 people, 2 men and a woman. One of the men had a receding brown hairline and was in a business suit. The other held a bow in his hands, string pulled back and a quiver on his back. He had spiked up light brown hair and was well built. The woman was really pretty with curly red hair and a nice face. She wore a skin-tight suit and 2 pistols in her hands. At the sight of the gun, I cowered back in my box. They must have heard the box move because they started slowly walking towards me._

" _Layla? Layla Jackson? We know you're there. We've been looking for you for a while now. We need you to come out please." The woman called. I whimpered and tried to crawl further into the box._

" _It's okay, sweetheart. We aren't going to hurt you." One of the men spoke. There was now a shadow in front of the box. I sneaked a peek out of the box to see the man with the bow, which was now limp in his hand._

" _Hi, Layla. I'm Clint. This is Phil and Natasha. We're here to save you." He smiled, holding out his hand. I cautiously took it and he helped me out of the box. Natasha came over and grabbed my bag for me. I tried to stand up straight but immediately bent over in excruciating pain. I felt warm liquid run down my side. Phil ran over._

" _Oh, God." I heard someone gasp._

" _We have to get her to base." Phil ordered. I felt Clint pick me up and I buried my face in his chest. The three of them took me to a car where my vision slowly went black._

I sat straight up, tears streaming down my face. My breathing was heavy and cold sweat covered my body. I looked at my alarm clock. It was 3:30 in the morning. Sighing, I shoved away my blankets and went to my closet. I grabbed undergarments, grabbed a pile of clothes and walked into the bathroom. I set the pile of clothes on the counter and started the shower. I turned and stared at myself in the mirror. My skin was pale, my eyes and black hair stood out against it. My face was soft and my ears were double pierced. I had a small stud in my nose as well. I was pretty skinny, with a noticeable curvy figure. My eyes wandered to my arms. They were as pale as the rest of me, but faded silvery scars lined my wrist reaching midway to my elbow. I lifted my top up a bit to see bandages from the gunshot. Carefully, I unwrapped them. I put the bloodied bandages in the trash and got out new ones on the counter for after my shower. The circular bullet wound was surrounded with many other scars that had faded after time. I was ashamed of my body. So much that I made modifications to my suit just to make sure every scar was covered. I was pulled out of my thoughts by steam fogging up my mirror. I stripped down and stepped into the shower. My side burned but I didn't care. The water rained down on my body as I shampooed and conditioned my hair. I shaved and did all of my other stuff before turning off the water. Opening the shower door, I grabbed a gray SHIELD towel. I dried myself off before stepping out. I redid my bandages, got my clothes on, and did my makeup before leaving the bathroom. I looked at the time and saw it was 5:15. Walking over to my bookshelf, I grabbed a book and left my room. Not many people were up this early so I stayed visible as I made my way to the deck. I walked to the edge of the helicarrier. We weren't in the air so the waves of the ocean beat the sides of the carrier in a steady rhythm. There was a soft and steady breeze so I sat down, letting my legs dangle over the edge. I opened my book and started to read under the light of a nearby safety light.

"Why you up so early, Layla?" a deep voice asked behind me after a little while. I spun around to see Director Fury, a small smile on his face.

" _Nightmare_." I signed, simply. He sighed and sat down next to me.

"What ya reading, sweet pea?" he questioned. Smiling a little at the nickname, I showed him the cover.

"The Hunger Games. Is it good?" he smiled. Grinning back, I nodded.

" _It's so good! If you think about it, it's really depressing but it's amazing!"_ I signed, excitement making my movements faster. He chuckled and ruffled my hair slightly.

"God damn, kid. You're so energetic." He smiled.

" _Thanks. Only sometimes though_." I shrugged, sadly. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders in a side hug. It was rare for others to see Fury showing any form of affection. They can't get past the brooding glare. But I see the man who gave me a new chance at life. He's always treated me with fatherly-kindness, something I never knew before I was rescued. We sat like that until the sun started to rise. The sky slowly turned orange, just like the beginning of my memory nightmare. I shuddered remembering that day. Fury noticed and looked down at me.

"Are you okay?" he asked. I nodded and got his 'really? You pullin' that trick?' face. I laughed, making him chuckle. He looked back at me. "Seriously though, are you okay?" he asked again. I sighed.

" _The nightmare that woke me up was a memory. I want to forget my past before I joined SHIELD. I'm trying to be cheerful so I can try to be happier, but it only works around people. When I'm alone, I just feel ashamed of my past. I want to make a better image for myself_." I explained. He hugged me tightly.

"You are truly amazing, Agent. Now, if you have another nightmare and wake up early like you did this morning, don't be afraid to wake someone up. Like Agents Coulson and Romanoff. Just to talk." He assured me. I gave him a genuine smile, which he returned.

" _Come on. I've been up since 3:30 and I am starving."_ I signed, getting up. He got up and we walked to the cafeteria. We ate breakfast together and then he had to go be Director Fury again.

"Agent Romanoff will be landing soon. I suggest you go meet her up on deck." He told me. I pulled him in for a hug and waved good-bye. I skipped up to the deck, surprisingly silent. That was basically another power besides invisibility. Unless I tried to be loud, I was completely silent. The sun was shining bright on the carrier. I scanned the ship for my favorite redhead. Finally, I saw her with Phil and 2 other men. I turned invisible and smirked mischieviously. I ran over to them and stopped. They were in deep discussion. I stood in the middle of the 4 and turned visible. They all jumped back, giving surprised gasps. I laughed and tackled Phil. We fell to the ground, causing him to groan and me to burst out laughing.

"Good to see you, too, sweetheart." He grunted as he got up. I jumped up and turned to Tasha and did the same, but she didn't fall. She just hugged me tightly and laughed.

"Layla! How's my favorite little sister?" she smiled.

" _Awesome now that you guys are back_!" I signed excitedly, almost bouncing with happiness. I let go of Tasha and turned to the 2 men. One was tall with blonde hair. He had muscles and wore old-fashioned clothing. The other had dark brown hair, dressed in a dress shirt and slacks. He seemed cautious of his surroundings.

" _Who are they?"_ I asked Phil.

"This is Dr. Bruce Banner and Captain Rogers." He introduced. I smirked at him.

" _Aren't you supposed to be fangirling like a five-year-old right now?"_ I asked, laughing.

" _I'm trying to be professional_." He signed back, not wanting to say it aloud. I cracked up laughing. I turned to the heroes to get smiles.

"Hello, ma'am. What's your name?" Captain Rogers asked, holding out his hand. I shook it and dropped it so I could answer.

" _My name is Layla_." I signed with a hopeful expression on my face. He just looked back with a confused expression. I was about to turn to Phil or Tasha when another voice beat me to it.

"This is Layla, Mr. Rogers." Dr. Banner told him. I looked at him, my eyes wide in surprise.

" _You understand sign language?"_ I asked.

"Yes I do. It's nice to meet you Layla." He said aloud, smiling softly at me.

" _It's nice to meet you too, Dr. Banner. Can you translate to Captain Rogers for me please?"_ I asked him.

"You can call me Bruce and of course. What do you want me to say?" he questioned.

" _Tell him 'It's nice to meet you, Captain Rogers'_." I told him.

"Captain, she says 'It's nice to met you, Captain Rogers'." He repeated. Captain looked at me and smiled.

"You can call me Steve, ma'am." I giggled and turned to Tasha, who was now alone.

" _Where did Phil go? Did he go get his Captain America trading cards?"_ I asked her.

"He was needed on the bridge. They're starting the face-trace." She explained, a smile on her face. A loud sound was heard on the side of the carrier. I squealed with excitement and ran to the edge. Natasha laughed as the guys came over, too.

"Is this a submarine?" Steve asked.

"Really? They want to put me in a pressurized metal container?" Bruce replied. I watched in fascination as huge propellers rose from the water and spun rapidly. They lifted the carrier into the air. Tasha walked over to me and hooked our arms.

"Come on, sis. Let's head to the bridge." She smiled.

"You two are related?" Steve asked.

"No, just super close. Agent Barton and I are basically her older siblings." She explained. I internally cringed at the thought of Clint. We walked to the bridge. Fury ordered the crew to vanish. I sat in a chair at the table. Steve was looking at everything in admiration. Bruce walked around behind me. Tasha stood behind me.

"Gentlemen." Fury acknowledged, walking towards us. I saw Steve walk up to Director Fury and hand him a $10 bill.

"Doctor, thank you for coming." Fury told Bruce, shaking his hand.

"Thanks for asking nicely. So, how long am I staying?" he asked, looking around.

"Once we get our hands on the Tesseract, you're in the wind." He answered.

"Where are you with that?" Bruce asked, walking over to the computer. Phil had entered the room and answered his question.

"We're sweeping every wirelessly accessible camera on the planet. Cell phones, laptops. If it's connected to a satellite, it's eyes and ears for us." Phil informed. Tasha walked over to a screen with Clint's face on it. I stayed in my chair and rested my head and my arm.

"Still not going to find him in time." Tasha told them.

"You have to narrow your field. How many spectrometers do you have access to?" Bruce asked, shrugging off his jacket.

"How many are there?" Fury asked question with question.

"Call every lab you know. Tell them to put the spectrometers on the roof and calibrate them for gamma rays. I'll rough out a tracking algorithm, basic cluster recognition. At least we can rule out a few places. Do you have somewhere for me to work?" he asked.

"Agent Romanoff, will you show Banner to his laboratory, please?" he turned to Tasha.

"You're gonna love it, Doc. We got all the toys." She told Bruce. She nodded at me before leaving the room. I sat, watching agents work. I saw Phil talking to Steve and almost burst out laughing. Then a computer started beeping.

"We got a hit. A 67% match. Wait. Cross match, 79%." Agent Sitwell told us. Phil walked over to his chair. "Location?" "Stuttgart, Germany. 28 Konigstrasse."

"He's not exactly hiding." Phil noted.

"Captain, Agent Jackson. You're up." Fury ordered. Smiling, I looked at Phil.

"You're so lucky." He mouthed, causing me to laugh. Steve walked over to me as we left the room.

"Suit up, ma'am. We'll meet on deck." He told me. I gave him a nod as we ran to our rooms. Realizing I didn't have an official uniform for the Avengers, I grabbed one of my SHIELD uniforms. I'll work on it with Tasha after I get back. I grabbed my guns and hid my knives. I left my hair down and ran a brush quickly through it before leaving the room. I was going to Germany and fight with Captain America. This is going to be something.


	5. Chapter 5

After I met with Steve, we walked to a quinjet where Nat was already waiting for us. We smiled at each other and she sat in the pilot's chair. The ramp closed behind us and I sat next to Cap. The jet took off into the air. It was silent for a few minutes before Steve broke it.

"I have a question for you, ma'am." He told me. I nodded, telling him I was listening. "Why are you mute?" he asked. I instantly felt myself tense and my face got even paler.

"Cap. Not a good question. At all." Nat called, her tone serious and protective.

"I-I'm really sorry, ma'am. I didn't mean to upset you." Steve stuttered. I nodded slightly, looking down.

"Captain Rogers, you can call her Layla." Nat told him. Awkward silence filled the air. I got up from my seat and sat in the co-pilot's seat. While we flew, I stared at the night sky. After a few minutes, the big fancy building in Stuttgart appeared. "Get ready, guys. Layla, be careful." She told me.

" _I will_." I signed as she opened the cargo doors. Loki stood in front of a large, kneeling crowd. Copied images were at four points, keeping the people from escaping. He wore gold armor over casual green and black clothes, a gold helmet with long horns that curled atop his head. He held the golden scepter from the research facility in the form of a staff. Immediately, he struck me as absolutely stunning. Right after I thought that, I shook it out of my head. He was the enemy. I stood by Cap as we waited for the perfect time to strike. Loki was saying something to the crowd. After a minute, an old man stood up. A moment later, Loki aimed his scepter at the man. Steve jumped out just as he fired a great ball of bright blue energy. It deflected off his shield, hitting Loki and making him fall to the ground. While Cap stood up, I jumped out of the jet, doing a flip in the air and landing in a crouched position silently. Loki got up, and looked at Cap.

"You know, the last time I was in Germany, and I saw a man standing above everyone else, we ended up disagreeing. Loki looked up at us, an angry look on face.

"The soldier, a man out of time." He said, standing up. I wanted to be angry back at him, but for some reason I just couldn't.

"I'm not the one who's out of time." Steve smirked. I heard Nat prepare the jet's machine guns.

"Loki, drop the weapon and stand down." She ordered through the quinjet's PA system. Loki paused for a moment before shooting his scepter at the jet. Nat dodged just in time and Cap threw his shield at Loki, causing him to stagger. The people took that as a sign to leave. They all got up and ran as Cap and I jumped into battle. Cap charged Loki, his shield coming to him right before he got to Loki. He punched him and Loki looked back at him in angry shock. He swung his staff but it scraped against Cap's shield. He attacked again and punched Cap back as he deflected. He flew back, landing on his feet and looked to me. I turned invisible and ran at Loki, no sound being made. Right as I was about to punch him, he spun around and kicked me in my injured side. I flew backwards, pain shooting through my body as I lay on the ground trying to catch my breath. Steve saw that I was down, and threw his shield from a kneeling position. Loki swat it aside and Cap charged him. He punched and Loki dodged and swung his staff but Cap ducked, touching the ground behind him and using it to bounce back up. While Loki slammed his staff down, Cap moved away with his back to the staff. The god then hit Steve in the back, causing him to go flying forward. Loki held the butt of his staff against Cap's helmet.

"Kneel." He growled.

"Not today." Steve hit it away and did a roundhouse kick, knocking Loki back. The pain in my side had started to subside and I slowly got up. Loki had Cap in a headlock before he threw him aside. I ignored the burning pain and charged him. I threw a couple punches and dodged some of his attacks before he knocked me to the ground as well, causing me to turn visible again. Suddenly, AC/DC's Shoot to Thrill filled the air from the quinjet's PA system. Steve, Loki and I looked to the sky and saw a flash of red, gold and blue flying towards us. Stark used his repulsors to hit Loki, causing him to fall back and hit the steps and he grunted in pain. Stark landed and activated all his weapons, all aimed at Loki.

"Make your move, reindeer games." He said, his voice sounding robotic behind his helmet. Loki's beautiful gold armor began to shimmer out of existence.

"Good move." He said, his weapons disappearing. You could practically hear the smirk in his voice. While I was watching, a red-gloved hand appeared in my vision. I looked up to see Steve holding out his hand to help me up. I took it and he gently pulled me up.

"Are you okay, Layla?" he asked. I nodded and we walked to Stark and Loki.

"Mr. Stark." Cap greeted, not taking his eyes of Loki.

"Captain. And hello beautiful Agent Jackson." Tony said in a flirty voice. I rolled my eyes as Nat brought the jet down and landed near us. Steve pulled Loki up roughly and led him to the jet before shoving him into a seat. I sat across from him while Stark and Captain stood towards the cockpit. I looked at my side and felt to make sure the stitches didn't get undone. Feeling a little blood, I sighed and decided to go to the medical wing when we get back to base. Nat sat back in the pilots seat and took off. I looked at Loki to see he was staring at me. After we met each other's gaze, we both got lost in each other's eyes. His blue eyes flickered to green again. I'm not sure if that was part of my imagination or not, but I was pulled out of my thoughts by Fury's voice echoing through the jet.

"Is he saying anything?"

"Not a word." Nat replied.

"Just get him here. We're low on time." Fury ordered before signing off. Steve turned to Stark.

"I don't like it." He whispered.

"What, Rock of Ages giving up so easily?" he asked, taking off his helmet and putting it on a ledge next to him.

"I don't remember it being that easy. And this guy packs a wallop." Steve said, looking back to Loki.

"Still, you are pretty spry for an older fellow. What's your thing, Pilates?" Stark asked.

"What?" Steve asked.

"It's like calisthenics. You might have missed a couple of things doing time as a Capsicle." Steve looked annoyed as hell as I tried to keep a smile off my face.

"Fury didn't tell me they were calling you in." He said stiffly.

"Yeah, there's a lot of things Fury doesn't tell you." Before Steve could reply, thunder boomed outside and lightning flashed. I saw Loki look up, his eyes wide with fear.

"What's the matter? Scared of a little lightning?" Steve questioned.

"I'm not overly fond of what follows." He stated, his silky voice sent shivers down my spine. Just as he said that, we heard a loud thud on the roof. I jumped up, Loki's eyes full of fear. Stark put his helmet on his head and opened the ramp.

"What are you doing?!" Steve yelled over the wind. A large man landed on the ramp in front of us. I didn't get a good look at him because when Stark moved to attack, the man swung a large hammer and knocked him into me. I grunted in pain when one of his metallic arms hit my side. The man grabbed Loki by the neck and jumped out of the plane. Stark got up, and walked to the edge. "Stark! We need a plan of attack!" Steve called. I managed to stand up, and moved to Nat.

"I have a plan. Attack." He answered before flying out. Sighing, Steve walked over to the parachutes and started pulling one on.

"I'd sit this one out, Cap." Nat called.

"I don't see how I can." He replied.

"These guys come from legend, there basically gods." She warned, looking back at him.

"There's only one god, ma'am. And I'm pretty sure he doesn't dress like that." He answered before leaping out of the plane. Nat and I turned to each other.

" _Should I go after them?_ " I asked.

"I would. Be careful!" she yelled as I got a parachute on. I gave a two-finger salute before free falling from the plane. Wind beat at my skin as I descended. I saw bursts of light in the distance and I watched as Steve landed nearby. I pulled my arms and legs tight to my body and sped towards the ground close to a large cliff, where I saw a glimmer of light. I turned invisible and tore my parachute off. I threw the chute onto the ground and silently climbed up the mountain. Loki sat on an outcrop, watching the man from the plane and Stark attack each other. Still invisible, I snuck behind him.

"I know you're there. No use hiding." He suddenly said, not looking away from the battle. Shocked, I slowly turned visible. He turned to me, his sharp face curved into a smirk. "You may be invisible and silent but your landing device is not." He stated. I mentally kicked myself for not being more careful with the chute. The loud explosions emitting from the forest below suddenly stopped. Cautiously walking around Loki, I looked over the edge. Stark and the other man had finally stopped attacking each and Steve stood above them on a fallen tree. The man hit Stark back with his hammer and jumped at Steve. He held his shield above him and when the two connected, there was a bright blue flash. A large shockwave burst and headed towards Loki and I. Before I could fly back into the cliff, I was pulled down and someone's arms wrapped around me. When the wave past, I looked over my shoulders to see Loki's face inches from mine. Again, his eyes flickered but for a moment longer this time. Once they turned blue again, he pushed me to the ground and stood. I pushed myself up just as the three men came up to us.

"Layla, are you okay?" Steve asked. I nodded and stood up, brushing some dirt off my clothes.

" _You guys have fun_?" I signed.

"What is the young maiden doing?" the unknown man asked Steve with a heavy accent.

"Sign language. She doesn't speak." He explained. I turned to Stark who had lifted his facemask. I made a phone gesture and pointed to the sky. He looked at me weird before lowering his mask again.

"Just do sign language. JARVIS will tell me what you're saying." He told me. This was one of the reasons I hated being away from Nat or Clint. It made me ashamed of my being mute because no one will understand me.

" _Call Natasha to come get us_." I sighed.

"Oh, good idea." I held my arm self-consciously and looked at the ground as he called Nat. As we waited for our ride, I sat at the top of the cliff and looked at the stars. When I was younger, before I ran away, I used to hide on the roof of our house. The stars always helped take my mind of the physical and emotional pain I had. I don't know how long I just stared at the stars, but I was pulled out of my thoughts by a hand on my shoulder. I flinched and looked back to see Nat, a nervous look on her pretty face.

"You okay, L?" she asked. At that moment, I noticed the tears on my face. I frantically wiped my eyes.

" _Just thinking_." I signed.

"How bout, if we have time, we go to my room and talk?" she smiled. I nodded, a small smile on my face. She helped me up and we walked to the jet. Steve started to say something but Nat shook her head at him. She pulled me over to the cockpit and sat me down in the copilot's seat. I smiled at how much she genuinely cared about me. She piloted the plane and the whole trip was filled with silence. As soon as we landed and opened the ramp, a squad of agents ran in and grabbed Loki. They put him in handcuffs and dragged him away. I stood and turned to Nat.

" _I'm gonna get changed. Meet ya on the bridge."_ I told her, heading out of the plane. As I was leaving, I heard Stark ask Nat something.

"What the hell's wrong with her? It took us like 5 minutes to figure out what she was saying earlier. Why's she mute, anyway?" I stopped in my tracks but didn't turn. I took a shaky deep breath and started walking again. "Well, shit. Does she have super hearing too?" Stark asked, shocked.

"You asshole! Why did you say that?!" I heard Nat yelling as I entered the base. Stark's words rung through my ear as I made my way to the med lab. I barely paid attention as my doctor stitched my side back up. When she was done, I turned invisible and walked to my room. I closed the door and leaned against it. I hate being mute. Everywhere I go, people ask why I was forever silent. It bugged me because it brought back memories from my painful childhood. I shuffled over to my bed and grabbed my book. I started reading, knowing tears were falling down my face but I still attempted to stop them.

"Layla? Can you open the door please?" Phil's soft voice asked. Taking a shaky sigh, I got up and opened the door. When it opened, Phil came in as I sat on the bed. "Oh sweetie." Phil said, coming to sit next to me after he closed the door. I sobbed loudly and threw my arms around his neck and cried into his shoulder. He hugged me tightly and patted my back. "It'll be okay, sweetheart." He repeated over and over again. This has happened a lot since I joined SHIELD. I would randomly just snap and break down. Phil, Nat, and Clint- the first people I could ever depend on- were there the first time it happened. They took care of me and made me feel as if I wasn't the useless freak I thought I was. Every time I fell, they helped me back up. "Who said what to make you break?" he asked. Sniffling, I shakily raised my hands.

" _Stark. When we got back with Loki, I left to get changed. I was close enough to hear him ask what the hells wrong with me and why I was a mute. I didn't break until after I got my stitched redone and I got to my room. I heard Nat yelling at Stark when I left_." I explained.

"She came to get me. She knew I could always help ya when ya break." He smiled. I couldn't help but smile a small smile back. I gave him a big hug. After I pulled back, I turned to him.

" _Thank you, Phil. You've always been there for me. You were one of the first people to care about me. I love you like the father I never had_." I signed.

"And I love you like the daughter I never had, sweetheart. I'll always be there for you. If not physically, I'll always be with you. Right here." He smiled, pointing to me heart.

" _Promise?"_ I asked.

"Cross my heart and hope to die." He said, making an x over his heart and holding up the same hand. I breathed a sigh of relief. He chuckled warmly.

"Now. We have a meeting to attend to. Get changed. I have to go meet Stark." He told me. I groaned.

"Don't worry. I'll give him a good punch for you." He smiled.

" _Save one for me_." I smirked. He kissed my head before leaving the room. I took a deep breath. I was already starting to calm down. I went to my closet and pulled out a black cami, a black lace top, and dark wash jeans. I quickly stripped down and got dressed. Once I got my shirt on, I looked closely at my wrists. I could barely see the silvery scars lining my arms. I concluded that no one would notice. Plus, it's supposed to be a short meeting. After I double-checked my outfit, I took a deep breath and left the room. I turned invisible just to save myself from any awkward confrontations. When I made it to the bridge, I opened the door to see everybody but Phil and Stark already there. Fury was missing also. Steve sat in a chair and Bruce stood a few chairs down. Nat sat alone from the others while the strange man from the forest stood as well. I turned visible and only Nat noticed. She jumped up and ran over to tackle me in a hug. This sudden action brought attention to me from the three men.

"Are you okay? Did Phil help you?" she asked me in a concerned whisper. I nodded, my mood getting a tiny bit less depressed. The man I did not know came over and I got a better look at him. He had long golden hair that reached his shoulders. He wore strange armor of silver and red. Attached to his belt was a large hammer with weird markings. His long flowing cape was nowhere to be seen.

"I do not believe we have been properly introduced. I am Thor Odinson, god of thunder. What is your name, young maiden?" he asked. I turned to Nat and she answered for me.

"This is Layla Jackson."

"Well, Miss Jackson. It is a pleasure to meet you." He took my hand in his and kissed my knuckles. I could feel a slight pink spread across my pale skin. Before I could respond, individual screens lit up. Nat pulled me over to two seats and we watched them. They displayed Loki in a large glass cage, Fury on the outside talking to him.

"In case its unclear, you try to escape, you as much a scratch that glass." He pressed a big red button on the control panel. Below the cage, loud gusts of wind howled.

"30,000 feet. Straight down, in a steel trap." He told him, closing it back up.

"Ant." He pointed at Loki.

"Boot." He then pointed to the button, closing the safety door. I breathed a quiet laugh, causing the others to quickly glance at me before looking back to Fury. Loki still had that intriguing smirk on his face.

"It's an impressive cage. Not built I think for me." he said, taking a few steps back.

"Built for something a lot stronger than you." Fury told him.

"So I've heard. A mindless beast. Makes play he's still a man." He said, looking directly at the camera. We all glanced at Bruce, who just stood there as Loki continued.

"How desperate are you that you call on such lost creatures to defend you?" he asked.

"How desperate am I? You threaten my world with war. You steal a force you can't hope to control. You talk about peace, and you kill because it's fun. You have made me very desperate. You may not be glad that you did." Fury said, his voice deep and intimidating.

"Oooh. It burns you to have come so close. To have the Tesseract, to have power, unlimited power. And for what? A warm light for all mankind to share. And then to be reminded what real power is." Loki taunted. Fury smirked.

"Well, let me know if 'real power' wants a magazine or something." Fury said, leaving the room. Loki took one look at the camera before the screens we watched from went blank.

"He really grows on you doesn't he?" Bruce asked.

"Loki's gonna drag this out. So, Thor, what's his play?" Steve asked.

"He has an army called the Chitauri. They are not of Asgard nor any world known. He means to lead them against your people. They will win him the Earth. In return, I suspect, for the Tesseract." Thor explained.

"An army. From outer space." Steve asked, full seriousness in his voice.

"So, he's building another portal. That's what he needs Erik Selvig for." Bruce stated.

"Selvig?" Thor questioned, a hint of sadness in his voice.

"He's an astrophysicist." Bruce told him.

"He's a friend." Thor returned.

"Loki has him under some kind of spell. Along with one of ours." Nat told the group. I knew she was talking about Clint. I shuddered, remembering the look of his unreal blue eyes. Nat looked at me with concern.

"I want to know why Loki let us take him. He's not leading an army from here." Steve wondered aloud, looking back at Nat, Bruce and I.

"I don't think we should be focusing on Loki. That guy's brain is a bag full of cats. You could smell crazy on him." Bruce said, pointing his glasses at the blank screens.

"Have care how you speak. Loki is beyond reason but he is of Asgard. And he is my brother." Thor reasoned.

"He killed 80 people in two days." Nat told him, her voice low.

"He's adopted." The god replied, a small hint of humor in his voice. I smiled a tiny bit, earning a bigger one from Thor.

"I think it's about the mechanics. Iridium . . . What do they need the iridium for?" Bruce asked, as if we knew could answer.

"It's a stabilizing agent." A voice I did not want to hear right now called. Quickly I turned invisible, earning a few glances from the others, as Stark and Phil walked in. The billionaire said something to Phil before turned back to us.

"It means the portal won't collapse on itself like it did at SHIELD." He reported as he walked around the table. He slowed as he reached Thor.

"No hard feelings, Point Break. You've got a mean swing." He said, hitting Thor's huge upper arms. I stayed in my spot, still invisible.

"Also, it means the portal can open as wide and stay open as long, as Loki wants." He paused when he got to Fury's computer monitor circle thing. I saw Maria glare slightly at him in the near distance.

"Raise the mizzenmast. Jib the topsails." Stark told the crew. Some gave looks of confusion, other of annoyance.

"That man is playing Galaga!" he yelled, pointing to some random agent.

"He thought we wouldn't notice, but we did." He explained. He suddenly covered his eye and turned to Agent Hill, pointing to the monitors on the side of his once covered eye.

"How does Fury even see these?" he asked rudely.

"He turns." Hill answered, her voice tight.

"Sounds exhausting. The rest of the raw materials, Agent Barton can get his hands on pretty easily. The only major component he still needs is a power source of high-energy density. Something to kick-start the Cube." He told us, while messing with the computers.

"When did you become an expert in thermonuclear astrophysics?" Agent Hill asked.

"Last night. The packet, Selvig's notes, the extraction theory papers. Am I the only one who did the reading?" he asked us all. I read the papers when I was at the facility. Selvig even helped me with learning it all. I turned visible again and half-heartedly raise my hand. A flash of sorrow crossed Stark's face when he saw me, but it quickly disappeared. I saw Phil glance at me from across the room out of the corner of my eye.

"Does Loki need any particular kind of power source?" Steve asked.

"He'd have to heat the Cube to 120-million Kelvin just to break through the Coulomb barrier." Bruce told him.

"Unless Selvig has figured out how to stabilize the quantum tunneling effect." Stark shot back. God he's such a know it all.

"Well, if he could do that, he could achieve heavy ion fusion at any reactor on the planet."

"Finally, someone who speaks English." Stark admired, walking over to Bruce.

"Is that what just happened?" Steve asked, looking around. I nodded and turned back to Bruce and Stark.

"It's good to meet you, Dr. Banner. Your work on antielectron collisions is unparalleled. And I'm a huge fan of the way you lose control and turn into an enormous green rage-monster." Stark told him, shaking his hands. I rolled my eyes as Bruce just looked uncomfortable.

"Thanks." He said, bluntly.

"Dr. Banner is only here to track the Cube. I was hoping you might join him." Fury stated, walking in the room.

"I would start with that stick of his. It may be magical but it works an awful lot like a HYDRA weapon." Steve started.

"I don't know about that, but it is powered by the Cube. And I would like to know how Loki used it to turn two of the sharpest men I know into his personal flying monkeys." Fury explained. I smirked at the reference as Thor looked confused.

"Monkeys? I do not understand." He questioned.

"I do!" Steve blurted. We all looked at him. I smiled and Stark rolled his eyes. "I understood that reference." He stated, shyly.

"Shall we play, Doctor?" Stark asked Bruce. He nodded and turned to me.

"Layla, would you like to join us?" he asked. I turned to Nat and she nodded with a smile. I smiled back and got up. As I walked by Stark, he stopped me by the arm.

"I'm sorry about what I said earlier. I didn't mean it." He said, sounding only half sentimentally. He let go off my arm and I smacked him across the face.

" _For me and what you said to Bruce earlier._ " I signed as I left the room. I heard Bruce translate and jogged to catch up to me.

"Thanks for that, Layla." He smiled.

" _I stand up for friends, Bruce_." I signed while returning the smile. While we were walking towards the lab, we heard Stark running behind us to catch up with a slightly red mark on his face.

"Ok. So Layla, we good now?" he asked, hopefully. I nodded.

" _No flirting or messing with Bruce or I will punch you._ " I signed. He looked to Bruce for translation.

"She said not to flirt with her or mess with me or she'll punch you." He summed up.

"Totally can do." Tony agreed. I smiled at him and he grinned back. I was in between them, so I grabbed their arms and ran to the lab. I have a feeling we were going to be good friends.


	6. Chapter 6

By nightfall, we'd been working for hours. Well, technically, Bruce and Tony were. I was just reading and listening to them talk about the signals and stuff. Bruce was now waving a scanner over Loki's staff.

"The gamma readings are definitely consistent with Selvig's reports of the Tesseract. But it's going to take weeks to process." Bruce noted, looking up at us. Tony walked over to another one of his computers.

"If we bypass their mainframe, we can clock this at around 600 teraflops." He said, walking away from the computer again.

"All I packed was a toothbrush." Bruce chuckled. I giggled quietly and Tony smiled.

"You know, you two should come by Stark Tower sometime. Top ten floors, all R&D. You'd love it. It's Candy Land." Tony told us. I nodded to him. He smiled at me and we both turned to Bruce.

"Thanks, but the last time I was in New York, I kind of broke Harlem." He told us, shamefully. I stood up and patted his shoulder comfortingly. He smiled at me thankfully and Tony stood on his other side.

"Well, I promise a stress-free environment. No tension, no surprises." Tony promised while prodding him with an electric rod.

"Ow!" he yelled, looking at Tony.

"Hey!" a voice yelled as I punched him in the arm.

"Ow!" he exclaimed before looking intently at Bruce's eyes, seeing if they were green. "Nothing?" he asked quietly.

"Are you nuts?" Steve asked as he walked further into the room.

"Jury's out. You really have got a lid on it, haven't you? What's your secret? Mellow jazz, bongo drums, huge bag of weed?" Tony asked. Even though I was angry that he was messing with Bruce, I laughed to myself.

"Is everything a joke to you?" Steve asked with a slight glare.

"Funny things are." Tony told him. I moved from the scientist's side and sat on one of the stools nearby.

"Threatening the safety of everyone on this ship isn't funny. No offense, Doc." Steve apologized.

"It's all right, I wouldn't have come aboard if I couldn't handle pointy things." Bruce said, embarrassed. Tony started walking away and turned to Bruce as he walked.

"You're tip-toeing big man. You need to strut." He said waving his arms a bit.

"And you need to focus on the problem, Mr. Stark." Steve countered.

"Do you think I'm not? Why did Fury call us in? Why now? Why not before? What isn't he telling us? I can't do the equation unless I have all the variables." Tony explained to us. My eyebrows furrowed as I considered this.

"You think Fury's hiding something?" Steve questioned.

"He's a spy. Captain, he's the spy. His secrets have secrets." Tony told him like it was common sense. He opened a bag of blueberries and popped one into his mouth.

"It's bugging him, too. Isn't it?" he asked Bruce.

"Uhh, I just want to finish my work here, and…" He stuttered.

"Doctor?" Steve pressed. Bruce sighed and pulled off his glasses.

"'A warm light for all mankind.' Loki's jab at Fury about the Cube." He started.

"I heard it." Steve said.

"Well, I think that was meant for you." He finished, pointing at Tony. He held the bag of berries out for him. I clapped once Bruce got some and Tony held it out for me.

"Even if Barton didn't tell Loki about the tower, it was still all over the news." Bruce explained. I flinched at Clint's name and the guys looked over at me for a moment before starting to talk again.

"The Stark Tower? That big, ugly-" Steve started but paused when Tony glared at him. "Building in New York?" he finished. I chuckled when I saw Tony still glaring at Steve.

"It's powered by an arc reactor, a self-sustaining energy source. That building will run itself for, what, a year?" Bruce continued, looking at Tony.

"It's just the prototype." He answered and turned to Steve. "I'm kind of the only name in clean energy right now. That's what he's getting at." He further explained.

"So, why didn't S.H.I.E.L.D. bring him in on the Tesseract project? What are they doing in the energy business in the first place?" Bruce wondered.

"I should probably look into that once my decryption program finishes breaking into all of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s secure files." Tony stated casually.

"I'm sorry, did you say-" Steve started.

"Jarvis has been running it since I hit the bridge. In a few hours, I'll know every dirty secret S.H.I.E.L.D. has ever tried to hide. Blueberry?" he offered Steve. I jumped up and grabbed some more.

"Yet you're confused why they didn't want you around." Steve said, almost angrily.

"An intelligence organization that fears intelligence? Historically, not awesome." Tony countered.

"I think Loki's trying to wind us up. This is a man who means to start a war and if we don't stay focused, he'll succeed. We have orders. We should follow them." Steve lectured. I stood by Bruce, just watching these two go at each other.

"Following's not really my style." Tony said, popping some berries into his mouth.

"And you're all about style, aren't you?" Steve replied, coolly.

"Of the people in this room, which one is A, wearing a spangly outfit, and B, not of use?" Tony asked. Smartass.

"Steve, tell me none of this smells funky to you." Bruce spoke up. Steve stared at us with a look I couldn't place and started to walk out.

"Just find the Cube." Was all he said as he left. It was silent for a minute before the guys went back to work on the computers.

"That's the guy my dad never shut up about? I'm wondering if they shouldn't have kept him on ice." Tony told us.

"The guy's not wrong about Loki. He does have the jump on us." Bruce convinced.

"What he's got is an Acme dynamite kit. It's going to blow up in his face. And, I'm going to be there when it does." Tony said, heading to another computer.

"Yeah. I'll read all about it." Bruce replied, swiping something from his screen to Tony's.

"Or you'll be suiting up with the rest of us." Tony tried.

"You see, I don't get a suit of armor. I'm exposed. Like a nerve. It's a nightmare." Bruce said, glumly. I walked over and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. He smiled softly down at me before looking back at the screen.

"You know, I've got a cluster of shrapnel trying every second to crawl its way into my heart. This stops it." Tony informed us, tapping his arc reactor in his chest.

"This little circle of light, it's a part of me now, not just armor." He continued, standing on the opposite side Bruce's screen. "It's a terrible privilege." He finished.

"But you can control it."

"Because I learned how."

"It's different." Bruce said, continuing to swipe with the screen.

"Hey," Tony swiped the screen and they minimized. "I read all about your accident. That much gamma exposure should have killed you." Tony told Bruce as if he didn't know.

"So you're saying the Hulk… the other guy saved my life? That's nice. It's a nice sentiment. Saved it for what?" Bruce asked solemnly.

"I guess we'll find out." Tony said before he walked back to his computer.

"You may not enjoy that." Bruce told him.

"You just might." Tony concluded. They went back to work and I sat and watched them. I let out a loud yawn and they both looked at me. I blushed and looked down.

"Layla, you can go if you want. We're just looking at signals for now." Bruce told me. I looked back up at him.

" _Ok, I'll be back tomorrow_." I signed to him.

"Sounds good." He smiled. I got up and gave him a hug. When I let him go, I walked over to Tony and wrapped him in a hug as well.

"See ya later, kid." He smiled down at me. I smiled back as I left the lab. I turned invisible and started down the hall towards my room. When I got there, I slipped off my sneakers and put them next to the door. I walked to my closet and got out some pajamas. After I got changed into them, I picked up a book and read. After an hour or so, my eyes began to droop. I got up and went to my bathroom to clean all the makeup off my face. When I was done, I lumbered over to my bed and kicked off my slippers. I pulled back the covers and fell asleep.

I woke a few hours later, breathing heavily. A layer of cold sweat coated my body. Will I ever get a good night's sleep? I looked at my clock. 3:24 in the morning. I swung my legs over the side of the bed and rested my head in my hands. After I caught my breath, I stumbled into my bathroom and started the shower. I stood under the hot water, allowing the fear roll off my body in waves. When I finished washing my hair and body, I stepped out and wrapped myself in a towel. I walked into my closet and pulled on my agent suit and holster. Once I braided my hair so it hung down my back, I put my earpiece in and left my room. I turned invisible and headed to the cafeteria. I grabbed an apple and a cup of coffee and sat at a table in the corner of the room. I stared at the wall, occasionally taking a bite of my apple or a sip of my coffee for a while.

"Couldn't sleep?" a voice asked, jolting me out of my trance. I looked up to see Phil smiling down at me with a coffee in his hand. I shook my head and he sat down in front of me.

" _Why are you up so early?"_ I signed to him.

"I don't know. Something's off. I can't explain it, but I have this feeling something bad's going to happen." He told me truthfully.

" _Everything will be okay, Phil_." I comforted, placing my hand on his when I finished signing. He gave me a grateful smile. His opposite hand went to his earpiece and listened.

"On my way." He stated to the agent on the line. "I'm needed on the bridge. I'll see you later, sweetheart." He told me. He came to my side and kissed the top of my head before leaving the cafeteria. I sighed to myself and threw my trash away before heading to the lab.

"Loki means to unleash the Hulk. Keep Banner in the lab. I'm on my way. Send Thor as well." Natasha spoke through my earpiece. I turned invisible and ran to the lab. When I got there, I sat on my stool and turned visible. The boys jumped, but relaxed when they saw it was just me.

"What are you doing, Mr. Stark?" Fury's voice asked as the Director entered the room.

"Kind of been wondering the same thing about you." Tony countered.

"You're supposed to be locating the Tesseract." Fury frowned.

"We are. The model's locked and we're sweeping for the signature now. When we get a hit, we'll have the location within half a mile." Bruce explained, pointing to a screen behind Fury.

"Yeah, then you get your Cube back. No muss, no fuss. What is 'Phase 2'?" He asked as something popped up on his screen. A loud thud sounded from behind us and we turned to see Steve had angrily set down a huge gun.

"Phase 2 is SHIELD uses the Cube to make weapons. Sorry, computer was moving a little slow for me." Steve explained. Bruce leaned down toward me.

"Did you know about this?" he asked in a whisper. I shook my head, still shocked myself.

"Rogers, we gathered everything related to the Tesseract. This does not mean that we're making-" Fury tried to say but was interrupted by Tony.

"I'm sorry, Nick. What were you lying?" Tony asked, turning the screen around to show some kind of missile. I looked at Fury in disbelief.

"I was wrong, Director. The world hasn't changed a bit." Steve glared at Fury as Thor and Natasha entered the room.

"Did you know about this?" Bruce asked her.

"You want to think about removing yourself from this environment, Doctor?" She asked, darkly.

"I was in Calcutta. I was pretty well removed." Bruce laughed dryly.

"Loki is manipulating you." She reasoned, moving closer to us.

"And you've been doing what, exactly?"

"You didn't come here because I bat my eyelashes at you." Nat growled.

"Yes, and I'm not leaving because suddenly you get a little twitchy." Bruce told her. I glared at him and stood beside Nat. "I'd like to know why SHIELD is using the Tesseract to build weapons of mass destruction." Bruce wondered.

"Because of him." Fury said, pointing at Thor.

"Me?" he asked, his arms crossed.

"Last year, Earth had a visitor from another planet who had a grudge match that nearly leveled a small town. We learned that not only are we not alone but we are hopelessly, hilariously, outgunned." Fury informed us.

"My people want nothing but peace with your planet." Thor defended.

"But you're not the only people out there, are you? And you're not the only threat. The world's filling up with people who can't be matched, that can't be controlled." Fury explained.

"Like you controlled the Cube?" Steve asked.

"Your work with the Tesseract is what drew Loki to it, and his allies. It is a signal to all the realms that the Earth is ready for a higher form of war." Thor told Fury angrily.

"A higher form?" Steve questioned.

"You forced our hand. We had to come up with something." Fury blamed.

"A nuclear deterrent. Because that always calms everything right down." Tony said sarcastically.

"Remind me again how you made your fortune, Stark." Fury dared.

"I'm sure if he still made weapons, Stark would be neck-deep-" Steve added in.

"Hold on. How is this now about me?" Tony wondered.

"I'm sorry, isn't everything?" Steve asked.

"I thought humans were more evolved than this." Thor said.

"Excuse me, did we come to your planet and blow stuff up?" Fury turned. Everyone started yelling at each other, arguing about different topics of the problem. I got between Nat and Bruce and tried to stop them from arguing.

" _This is what Loki wants!"_ I signed. They ignored me, until Fury's loud voice called through.

"Agent Romanoff, would you escort Doctor Banner back to his-" He started.

"Where? You rented my room." Bruce said, offended.

"The cell was just in case-" Fury tried to explain.

"In case you needed to kill me. But you can't. I know, I tried." Bruce said loudly. My jaw dropped a little as I heard that. "I got low. I didn't see an end. So, I put a bullet in my mouth and the other guy spit it out. So I moved on. I focused on helping other people. I was good. Until you dragged me back into this freak show and put everyone here at risk. You want to know my secret, Agent Romanoff? You want to know how I stay calm?" he asked, unaware that he picked up Loki's scepter. Nat and Fury's hands went to their guns.

"Dr. Banner, put down the scepter." Steve ordered, somewhat gently. A series of beeps went off on one of the monitors.

"Got it." Tony told us.

"Sorry, kids, you don't get to see my party trick after all." Bruce said half-heartedly, making his way over to the computer.

"I could get there fastest." Tony volunteered.

"The Tesseract belongs on Asgard. No human is a match for it." Thor reasoned in his loud voice.

"You're not going alone." Steve said, grabbing Tony's arm.

"You're gonna stop me?" Tony smacked Steve's hand away from him.

"Put on the suit, let's find out."

"I'm not afraid to hit an old man." Tony threatened.

"Put on the suit." I frantically looked around at the others, silently begging them to stop the two from hurting each other.

"Oh, my god." Bruce muttered, looking up at us. Suddenly, there was a huge explosion. The floor under Bruce, Nat and I gave out and we fell below. We landed a few floors down. A large pipe fell onto my lower legs, restricting me from moving. The intercom gave orders for other agents as I snapped out of shock.

"Romanoff? Jackson?" Nat and my earpieces went off.

"We're okay." She answered for all three of us. We looked to Bruce who was breathing heavily.

"We're okay, right?" Nat asked. I frantically pulled at my legs, knowing what was happening with Bruce.

"Layla?" Nat asked. I looked up at her as she knelt beside me. I motioned with my hand, telling her to go help the others.

"I can't leave you here!" she argued. I motioned faster and she reluctantly ran from the room. Bruce was panting and groaning as he tried to control the Hulk. A couple agents ran in and I shooed them off as well. I squirmed even more, trying to get out.

"RUN!" A loud voice echoed. I looked over at Bruce and saw his face was going green. His body began to expand under his clothes and his whole body turn dark green. I struggled under the pipe more as I heard his clothes rip. He crawled away as the Bruce side of him tried to get away from me so I wouldn't get hurt. He turned to me, his face apologetic and his brown eyes full of fear. I watched in horror as he let out a loud roar and changed completely. I finally ripped my legs out from under the pipe and scurried to my feet. I paused at the foot of the stairs and looked at him. He slowly turned to me and I saw a face that wasn't Bruce but the Hulk's furious face. I gasped and ran up the stairs. I heard him growl and begin running after me. I ran half way up and grabbed the pipes above me as Hulk ripped the stairs from underneath me. I flipped onto a catwalk and swung from the bars as he ripped the plates from under me. Jumping down from the bars, I landed and broke into a run. I quietly made my way forward, making sure I didn't hit any of the metal poles around me. I hid in a crouched position that shielded me from Hulk's eyes. Sweat covered my forehead as I caught my breath. I heard him around me and gasped to myself. I pulled out my gun and left the spot. Holding my gun pointing up in a ready-to-fire position, I made my way forward. Suddenly, a deafening roar sounded from beside me. I squeaked and turned around. I shot a pipe from above him and steam shot out at him, clouding his vision. I made a run for it, holstering my gun while I ran. I ran through a series of glass panels as fast as I could. I heard Hulk rip through them behind. Glass shattered behind me and I knew he was close. I dared to look back and saw him running close behind me. I shielded my face from the glass as I ran. At one point, I could almost feel his breath on my neck. His huge hand swung and hit me across the room. I hit the wall with a thud and fell to the floor. Stinging pain erupted in my head and in my ankle. My eyes widened as Hulk advanced towards me menacingly. I tried to crawl away but a wave of dizziness ran over me. As the Hulk was about to kill me, a figure with golden hair flew into him. Thor. The two went through the wall. I felt something wet begin to trickle down my face. I reached up and found blood on my brow. I heard Thor and Hulk destroying the hanger from where I was. I closed my eyes shut, trying to stay awake. Sirens went off around me as I fought to rid myself of the dizziness. Suddenly, the helicarrier began to tilt.

"Engine one is now in shut-down." the intercom informed everyone. I slid and hit another wall so I was now in a corner as the carrier tilter further.

"It's Barton. He took out our systems. He's headed for the detention level." Fury contacted us on our earpieces.

"This is Agent Romanoff. I copy." Nat's voice came through. I smiled a little knowing she was all right.

"Layla, where are you?" Phil's voice called through our private channel. I hit a button and it sent him my coordinates.

"Okay, sweetheart. Listen to me. I'm going to try and stop Loki." he told me. That snapped me out of the shock I've been in. I shakily stood up and tried to walk with the help of the wall. "I know you're going to try and stop me. Please stay where you are if you are safe. I don't want you getting hurt. If something happens to me, remember what I told you last night and I love you, sweetheart." He told me, turning off the piece. By the end, tears had budded in my eyes but I refused to let them fall. I got up and started to make my way to the bridge. I turned invisible as I walked and flinched when my ankle shot pain through my body.

"Agent Coulson is down." Fury's voice called. I stopped where I was.

"A medical team is on its way to your location." An agent told him.

"They're here. They called it." Fury replied, grimly. Time stopped for me.

"Layla, where are you?" Nat's voice asked. I began running, ignoring my ankle. Running and wishing it wasn't true. I went to Loki's cell room and saw a medical team just leaving. When I was alone, I turned visible. A large bloodstain dirtied the wall where I assume Phil died. I fell to my knees beside it and cried. The man I saw was a true father was gone. Never to be seen again. He was one of the first people to treat me like a human being and now he's gone. I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked behind me to see Fury behind me. He knelt down beside me.

"I'm sorry, Agent Jackson." He told me, his eye teary. I threw my arms around him and sobbed. He held me as I cried until I had no more tears to shed. "Barton's back. He's in the infirmary with Romanoff." He told me. I looked up at him with red eyes. "Get some rest, Layla. You need it." He told me. He stood up and helped me up with him. I turned invisible and left the room. I numbly walked to the infirmary and found the room Clint and Nat were in. They were talking quietly but stopped when the door opened and closed.

"Lay?" Clint asked. I turned visible and he jumped up and hugged me tightly. "I'm so sorry. About Phil." He told me, his voice cracking. I looked at him and saw he had tears in his eyes. I gave him a questioning look. "I'm so glad you're okay. I shot you. I'm so sorry." He apologized, hugging me again.

" _It's okay, Clint. I'll be fine_." I signed once he let me go. I jumped onto his bed and Nat and Clint sat on either side of me. I rested my head on Clint's shoulder and they both held me. " _I can't believe he's gone_." I signed.

"Oh, Lay, it'll be okay. I promise." Nat comforted. After a while, Clint got up and disappeared into the bathroom. Just then, Steve walked in.

"Time to go." He told us.

"Go where?" Nat questioned.

"I'll tell you on the way." Steve told us.

"Can you fly one of those jets?" he asked. At that moment, Clint came out of the bathroom with a towel.

"I can." He told him. Steve looked at Clint with a mistrusting look then at us. We nodded, telling him we can trust him.

"You got a suit?" Steve asked.

"Yeah." Clint answered.

"Then suit up."


	7. Chapter 7

After Steve left to get ready, Natasha, Clint, and I left the infirmary. I went to my room and got my special uniform out of my closet. It was consisted of a sleek, skin-tight black body suit. The collar wrapped around my throat like a turtleneck but allowed for flexibility and easy breathing. Agile black boots went up my calves. Once I was changed, I got my knives and hid them in my boots and belt. I strapped on my gun holsters and put extra ammo in my belt. Finally, I put my two sword holsters on my back. A knock sounded through my room. I opened the door to see Clint, Natasha, and Steve in their gear. We nodded to each other and headed to the hanger for the jet. As we approached the plane, an engineer looked up from his work and stood up.

"Hey, you guys aren't authorized to be in here." He protested as we walked up the ramp.

"Son, just don't." Steve told him. Natasha and Clint went to the pilot's seats and got ready to take off. I sat in the closest seat to them and Steve sat down next to me. The plane took off and flew out of the hanger. Tony flew out in front of us before flying as fast as he could to the Tower. The plane ride was quiet beside the fact that I kept reloading my pistols over and over again. I noticed that Steve was staring at me confusedly. My face flushed in embarrassment.

"It's a nervous habit of hers, Cap." Clint told him. After that, I shoved my pistols back in their holsters and sat quietly.

"Woah." Nat whispered under her breath. I got up and went to the cockpit. A small gasp escaped me. A bright blue light had erupted from the top of the Stark Tower and up into the sky, opening up into a huge portal in the sky. Weird-looking creatures, which I guessed were the Chitauri, on flying vehicles flooded through it, heading towards the city below.

"Get ready, you two." Nat told Cap and I. I put my earpiece in my ear and turned it on. The four of us saw a blur of red flying around the stream of creatures and I knew it was Tony.

"Stark, we're on your three, headed northeast." Nat called.

"What? Did you stop for drive-through?" he answered, sassily. "Swing up park. I'm going to lay them out for you." He ordered. We flew the jet down a street just as Tony passed in front of us, a bunch of Chitauri behind him. Clint stopped and Nat started shooting. We flew around and shot as many of the monsters as possible. I managed to get a glimpse of the destruction on the ground. People were scared and fleeing. Cars were flipped and fires burned in some places. The plane tilted towards Stark Tower and I saw Thor fighting Loki on the balcony.

"Nat?" Clint started.

"I see him." She responded. They turned the plane and Nat fired at him. Loki managed to get Thor on the ground and shot his scepter at us. The blast hit our wing and I stumbled, hitting the wall. We started to fall out of the sky and Steve grabbed me before gripping one of the handles on the ceiling. We hit a few buildings before crashing to the ground. I almost fell to the ground but Steve kept a firm grip around my waist. Clint and Nat hurriedly tore their headphones off and unbuckled their seat belts. Steve let me go and I opened the ramp. The four of us ran out of the destroyed jet and scanned the area.

"We got to get back up there." Steve told us. I followed the others until we were standing in front of a fancy building. There was a low rumbling sound that made us stop in our tracks. Civilians were running past us as we gaped at the portal. All of a sudden, a huge creature appeared. It had a snake-like body with what looked like mechanical flippers. The thing flew through the air like a dolphin in water. My jaw dropped in fear as I watched it dive down towards the city. It was right above us when other Chitauri were ejected from the bottom of the monster. They jumped towards buildings and burst through windows.

"Stark, are you seeing this?" Steve asked through the comms.

"Seeing still working on believing." He replied. "Where's Banner? Has he shown up yet?"

"Banner?" Steve wondered.

"Just keep me posted." Tony told us. Clint grabbed my arm and led Nat and I to a taxi and we hid behind it. Steve met us a minute later.

"We've got civilians trapped up here." Clint informed. Steve's eyes caught something and I followed.

"Loki." He whispered. The god was on a flying thing, leading others on what seemed to be a bomb raid. I felt anger course through me as innocent people screamed and ran. "They're fish in a barrel down there." Steve noticed. Nat and I jumped up, shooting a couple of the Chitauri before ducking down again. Clint moved forward to another flipped car. Chitauri were advancing towards us.

"We got this. It's good. Go." Nat told Steve.

"Do you think you can hold them off?" He asked, looking at Clint.

"Captain, it would be my genuine pleasure." He smiled, loading an arrow in his bow. He stood up and fired, hitting a Chitauri right in the middle of its head. Steve looked at me and I nodded for him to go. He ran out and Nat and I started shooting. "Lay!" Clint called. I looked to him and he waved me over to a bus that had people trapped inside. I nodded and jogged over, shooting as I ran. The pedestrians were begging us to help them. I waved my hand, motioning for them to back up. They did and I smashed my gun into the window. Clint did the same with another and people began to go through it. A little boy was assisted out and I gently took him in my arms before handing him off to his mother. She thanked me before running with her son. We pulled the doors open and the rest of the people ran out. After the bus was clear, we began to fight beside Nat once more.

"Just like Budapest all over again." She called to us loudly.

"The three of us remember Budapest very differently." Clint replied, voicing my reaction as well. I managed to holster my guns and bring out my throwing knives. I went invisible and dashed around, flinging them into throats of every Chitauri in my path. When I made it back to Clint and Nat, I turned visible again and kept going. Steve jumped into our area and took out a bunch of the aliens. A group approached us but were electrocuted by lightning. Thor landed in front of us and leaned against a car, steadying himself and making his way towards us.

"What's the story upstairs?" Steve asked.

"The power surrounding the Cube in impenetrable." He told us.

"Thor's right. We got to deal with these guys." Tony's voice said.

"How do we do this?" Nat wondered.

"As a team." Steve answered.

"I have unfinished business with Loki." Thor told us.

"Yeah? Well, get in line." Clint grumbled, making me nod in agreement.

"Save it. Loki's going to keep this fight focused on us, and that's what we need. Without him, these things could run wild. We got Stark up top. He's going to need us to…" Steve started before he was interrupted by what sounded like a motorcycle. The five of us watched as Bruce drove towards us. I smiled. I knew he'd make it. He walked over to us.

"So, this all seems horrible." He told us.

"We've seen worse." Nat said, motioning towards me.

"Sorry." He apologized.

"No, we could use a little worse." She corrected.

"Stark, we got him." Steve told Tony.

"Banner?"

"Just like you said."

"Then tell him to suit up. I'm bringing the party to you." Tony said. I saw him turn the corner of a building, leading one of the huge monsters. I gasped and walked backwards a few feet. Clint put a hand on my shoulder, silently telling me it would be all right.

"I don't see how that's a party." Nat said. The creature was low, disrupting the street with its scale things. Bruce looked to us before walking towards the creature.

"Dr. Banner. Now might be a good time for you to get angry." Steve warned.

"That's my secret, Captain. I'm always angry." He replied before growing rapidly into the Hulk. He brought his huge fist down onto the monster's head, stopping it from moving and making its body flip into the air.

"Hold on!" Tony yelled before shooting at the now exposed skin. Clint grabbed me around the waist and pulled me behind a car just as the thing exploded, bits of meat raining down as it crashed onto the ground. The Chitauri on the buildings screamed in anguish and anger. Hulk roared fiercely at them as we gathered in a circle. Nat and I reloaded our guns and Clint loaded an arrow and was ready to fire. Suddenly, three more of the snake creatures came flying out of the portal, making me groan.

"Guys." Nat warned.

"Call it, Captain." Tony instructed.

"All right, listen up. Until we can close that portal, our priority is containment. Barton, I want you on that roof. Eyes on everything. Call out patterns and strays. Stark you got the perimeter. Anything gets more than three blocks out, you turn it back or you turn it to ash." Steve ordered.

"Can you give me a lift?" Clint asked Tony.

"Right. Better clench up, Legolas." Tony answered. Clint looked at me and mouthed "Be careful." before Tony grabbed him and flew off.

"Thor, you got to try and bottleneck that portal. Slow them down. You got the lightning. Light the bastards up." Steve continued. Thor nodded and flew away. Steve looked at Nat and I.

"You two and me, we stay here on the ground. We keep the fighting here. And Hulk…" Hulk turned to him with a grunt. Steve pointed up. "Smash." He smiled before leaping high into the air and jumping from building to building. Turning invisible, I drew my swords and ran out into a group of Chitauri. I slashed and cut until there wasn't a single one standing in wide circle. Their blood was all over my clothes and dust covered my face. More and more kept coming. The three of us had drifted apart so I was on my own for now. I kept fighting until a Chitauri came up behind me and pinned me to a car. Its hands were around my neck until I brought my fist up and stabbed it through the neck. I pushed the body off of me as I caught my breath. A huge group of them were coming towards me. I turned invisible and ran to Steve and Natasha. She had a bleeding cut at her hairline and a split lip while Steve didn't appear to be too hurt.

"Captain, none of this is going to mean a damn thing if we don't close that portal." She breathed.

"Our biggest guns couldn't touch it." Steve reminded her.

"Well, maybe it's not about guns." She thought aloud, looking at the flying chariots. More Chitauri landed several yards away, coming towards us.

"It you want to get up there, you're going to need a ride." He told her.

"I got a ride." She replied, dropping the alien gun she was using and walked a few meters away. "I could use a boost, though." She called. Steve and I understood. I moved out of her way and Steve prepared his shield.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked, warily.

"Yeah. It's gonna be fun." She answered, sounding nervous as well. She ran towards him, leaped onto a car before jumping onto his shield. He launched her into the air and she grabbed a chariot. A blast hit the wall near us and we ducked for cover. Chitauri were advancing on us. We nodded to each other and I twirled my swords. Tony landed near us and starting firing his repulsors. I ran towards a large group of Chitauri and turned invisible. I slashed at every alien I saw and kept running. I accidently turned visible but kept going. All of a sudden, I felt something grab me. A Chitauri had me in a headlock as more approached. It's armor cut into my neck but I managed to stab it in the stomach with my sword. It let me go and I killed the ones near me. A small trickle of blood was making its way down my neck. Somehow I found Steve and Thor and I fought with them. One of the Chitauri managed to shoot Steve in the stomach and he fell to the ground. I moved to his side and helped him up. Thor covered us before coming over.

"Are you ready for another bout?" He asked us.

"What, are you getting sleepy?" Steve retorted. They looked to me and I nodded with a smirk.

"I can close it. Can anybody copy? I can shut the portal down." Natasha's voice said through the comms.

"Do it!" Steve said.

"No, wait." Tony argued.

"Stark, these things are still coming." He told him.

"I got a nuke coming in. It's gonna blow in less than a minute. And I know just where to put it." Tony told us.

"No, Tony. You could die." I tapped.

"Stark, you know that's a one-way trip." Steve informed him, solemnly. I looked up to see Tony flying with a bomb on his back and flying up towards the portal. A few seconds after he disappeared, all the Chitauri collapsed. The giant creatures crashed to the ground. We all stared at the portal, waiting for Tony to come through.

"Close it." Steve ordered, quietly. The portal began to close and all eyes were staring intently at the shrinking circle. A small red fleck fell from the sky just as it closed completely. "Son of a gun." Steve whispered.

"He's not slowing down." Thor noticed, twirling his hammer. Out of nowhere, Hulk grabbed Tony and grabbed a building. He kicked off of it and landed on the street in front of us. We ran over as he pushed Tony off of him. Thor turned him onto his back and ripped of his facemask.

"Is he breathing?" Steve asked before putting his ear next to Tony's face. I knelt next to the Hulk with teary eyes. I just met Tony and I didn't want to lose him now. There was a moment of silence before the Hulk roared loudly. Tony jumped awake with a gasp. A smile spread across my face.

"What the hell?" he asked. "What just happened? Please tell me nobody kissed me." I let out a small laugh.

"We won." Steve sighed, relieved. "All right, yay! Hurray. Good job, guys. Let's just not come in tomorrow. Let's just take a day. Have you ever tried shawarma? There's a shawarma joint about two blocks from here. I don't know what it is but I want to try it." He celebrated.

"We're not finished yet." Thor told us.

"And then shawarma after." Tony added. We all stood up, me and Steve helping Tony get up. The five of us headed to the tower and we got to the penthouse floor. Clint and Natasha met us there and we went in. Loki was crawling out of a decent sized crater in the floor. He turned onto his back to see the Avengers all glaring at him.

"If it's all the same to you, I'll have that drink now." He sighed, in defeat. We won.

I drove in a S.H.I.E.L.D. car with Clint and Nat. We were on our way to see Thor and Loki off. When we stopped, we were in a park. Tony came out of his red car with a silver briefcase. Thor and Loki, who had device on his jaw to keep him from talking, were side by side. Bruce put the Tesseract in an appropriate container for it to be taken to Asgard. I stood by Nat and Clint until it was time to say goodbye to Thor. He came over and I gave him a hug.

"It was wonderful to meet you, Lady Layla." He grinned.

" _It was great meeting you, too, Thor_." I signed with a smile. Nat translated for me and he gave me one last smile before moving on. Clint wrapped his arm around my shoulders in a brotherly way. Nat whispered something in his ear, making him smirk. Thor offered Loki one end of the Tesseract container. Reluctantly, he took it. Thor gave us a nod before they disappeared in blue light. Steve, Tony, and Bruce came over to us.

"Fury wants us to keep an eye on each other. I agreed to let you guys stay in the Tower with me." Tony told us with a smile. "Don't worry, we'll get it fixed up and you'll have your own floors and stuff." He added. We all went to our separate cars. On our way to our new home.

Thor's POV

When we arrived on Asgard, Loki and I were greeted by a group of guards and Father with Mother at his side. The guards surrounded Loki and started to lead him away from the Bifrost. As we walked along the rainbow bridge, I looked to my brother from my position next to him. He seemed different. He seemed sickly pale, his eyes twitching every so often. I shook it off as the weight of his defeat on my Midgard. We all entered the castle and we were on our way to the dungeons. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Loki give a cry in pain and suddenly collapsed.

"Brother?" I gasped, kneeling next to him. He was breathing heavily, holding his head in his hands. Suddenly, a strong wind pulsed from him, causing everyone surrounding him to fly back in various directions. Grunting, I jumped up, Mjolnir in hand. Loki was floating a little off the floor; his back was arched unnaturally, his eyes glowing a bright blue. A bright light temporarily blinded us all. The blue changed to a bright green. The light died down, dropping Loki's limp body to the ground. "Loki! Brother! Are you alright?" I yelled, running over to his body. His eyes were closed, but tears streamed down his face. I pulled him onto my lap, holding him by the back of his neck. Mother soon pulled away from Father and ran over to us, kneeling in front of me.

"Loki? My son, are you alright?" she whispered. His eyes fluttered open. I gasped slightly. They weren't the emotionless blue they were on Midgard, but now an emerald green. He looked up at us, his eyes wide with genuine fear and confusion.

"Mother? Brother? What happened?" he whispered, sounding like a scared child. This was not how he was on Midgard. This was the real Loki, the one who is my brother.

"Loki. What is the last thing you remember?" I asked, worriedly. He looked to me, eyes searching mine, before smiling sadly.

"It was a week before you became king, brother," then his smile evaporated as his eyes became distant. "I was in my chamber. Then, something attacked me from behind. I don't know what it was or who. I just saw blue take over my vision until it turned to darkness. That's the last thing I remember." He explained. My heart shattered hearing this. I turned to Father, who was standing behind Mother.

"He didn't do all those things, Father. It was someone else, using his body as a puppet." I told him, piecing everything together.

"Thor?" I looked down at my brother.

"What did I do?" he questioned, his voice cracking. I looked to Mother. She had tears in her eyes.

"Take him to his chambers. He needs his rest." She told me. Nodding, I gently lifted Loki off my lap and he watched as I reached down to help him up. When he tried to stand, his knees buckled, causing him to fall against me. I helped him stand the best he could. He nodded his thanks and we started to his chambers. Once we got there, I opened the door and followed him in. It was a large room, at least a couple stories tall with a chandelier dangling in the air. A large window was in the wall next to his large bed with a ledge big enough for him to sit and admire the beauty of Asgard. All the walls and the ceiling were a metallic gold. Everything other than the room walls, were either forest green or black. Nothing had changed since the last time I was here. Loki smiled at the familiar scent of the room.

"Wait here, Thor. I'm going to bathe and get in my nightclothes." He told me, disappearing into the bathroom. Sighing, I sat on the edge of his large bed. How was I going to explain the last year and a half to him? He doesn't remember Jotunheim, finding out his true parentage, the invasion of Midgard. I thought about how I was going to tell him until he emerged from the bathroom. Steam drifted out of the room after him and he walked towards me a tight black shirt and the black pants he used to wear for training. "Brother, when did my hair get this long? It's quite irritating." He questioned, motioning his hair that now went past his shoulders. I opened my mouth to answer, but he sat down next to me with a saddened expression on his face. "I did something bad, didn't I?" he asked, quietly. I looked at him and slowly nodded, not wanting to say it aloud. "Tell me. Please." He whispered, not meeting my gaze. I went on explaining everything. The Jotun attack, my banishment, the near destruction of Jotunheim, the battle on the rainbow bridge, his supposed death, the invasion of Midgard, everything. By the time I finished, we both had tears streaming down our faces. "So, I'm half frost giant?" he questioned. I nodded. "I understand." He stood up.

"Loki?" I asked, worriedly. He looked to me, his eyes bloodshot.

"What punishment will be bestowed upon me for these actions? Will Father lock me away?" he asked, fear dripping from his once so confident voice. I stood up and put my hands on his shoulders, making him look at me.

"I will not let him. I swear on my life." I promised. My younger brother smiled up at me then hugged me tight.

"Thank you." He said. I smiled to myself. I missed Loki, more than everyone else. I knew he wouldn't do any of this. Once we pulled away, we both smiled and Loki started towards his bed. He climbed under the covers and I started to leave. "Wait." I heard him say. I turned to him. "The whole time, it was darkness. Memories sometimes played before my eyes but other then that nothing. Except for a little while ago. My vision flashed of the outside. There was a girl. She-she was lying on the floor, surrounded in blood. I tried to stop my body and help her, but I couldn't before I was shoved under again. Do you know this woman from Midgard?" he asked, looking at me with pleading eyes.

"What does the maiden look like?" I questioned.

"She was beautiful. Long black hair, bright green eyes, pale skin." He described, with a dreamy smile on his face.

"Lady Layla. That must be the maiden you saw." I smiled, sitting on his bed.

"What is she like?" he wondered. My smile faltered.

"Sweet, kind, but she can not speak. She speaks with her hands, not with her mouth. When you look her in the eyes, you see that she's broken. Though she does not let it show. The birdman and the spider woman are very protective of her and understand her language. She can turn herself invisible, usually stays in the back of a crowd. She looks . . . lonely." I explained. Loki spent the whole explanation with his eyes on the ceiling.


	8. Chapter 8

* There is a trigger warning on this chapter! Be warned but it's important to the plot!*

Layla's POV

It's been about a month since New York. All battle wounds were healed. I still mourned for Phil but Nat and Clint helped me. The other Avengers and I moved into the Stark Tower. We all helped Tony and Pepper rebuild. We each had our own floors that Tony insisted we could have. Mine was a couple floors under the penthouse. Nat's was upstairs and Clint's downstairs. There was an elevator that went to all floors and an emergency stair well. My floor had a black and green color scheme. There was a large living room, a master bedroom, kitchen, two huge bathrooms, and a guest room. A lot of the walls were floor to ceiling, one-way glass windows. Bookshelves were all over and there was a case full of movies. I tackled Tony and Pepper in hugs when they showed me. In my room, they set up a hidden closet that held my super suit and all of my weapons and holsters. Right now, the sun was beginning to set and I was sitting on one of the couches in my living room, reading. I heard the elevator ding and looked up to see Nat and Clint.

"Hey, Lay. Whatcha reading?" Clint asked. I held it up and showed him. "'A Game of Thrones?' Isn't that a really adult series?" Nat asked me, raising an eyebrow. I shrugged and put it down.

" _I find it really interesting. It's like Lord of the Rings but with more sex, blood, and White Walkers_." I explained with a smile. They rolled their eyes and sat on one of the other couches.

"So, what should we do tonight?" Clint wondered. Just as he was about to continue, the elevator doors opened. Steve walked out and looked at us.

"Thor's in the penthouse. And he brought a guest." He told us, an unreadable expression on his face. We all jumped up and ran to the elevator.

"Who'd he bring?" Nat asked.

"I can't explain it. You have to see for yourself." Steve answered. We waited anxiously as we climbed to the penthouse floor. The four of us walked out and Nat, Clint, and I gasped. Thor stood there in his cape talking to Tony and Bruce. But that's not what made us pause. Standing to the side, looking as if he wanted to disappear was none-other-than Loki.

"What the hell is he doing here?" Clint growled, softly pushing me behind him. I stared at Loki in shock. He changed so much in the last month. Instead of the vengeful conqueror he once was, he now seemed like a shy kitten. His raven black hair was shorter and his eyes were no longer blue. They were an emerald green that I almost lost myself in.

"My friends; do not attack!" Thor's voice brought me out of my state.

"Why is he here?!" Clint yelled. I peeked out from behind him and saw Loki look down shamefully.

"Let me explain. Loki was under some kind of sorcery. The Loki I grew up with was shoved under and a villain rose in his place. He doesn't remember anything that happened." Thor explained. Clint relaxed a tiny bit but still kept me behind him. "Our father has agreed not to lock him in the dungeon. He has allowed me to watch over him on Midgard." He added.

"You both are going to live here?" Nat wondered.

"If that's not any trouble." He replied. I turned invisible and snuck around Clint. I walked over to Loki and turned visible. He jumped and his eyes widened. I held out my hand for him to shake. Gently, he reached out and shook it. His hands were smooth and cool to the touch. "Brother, this is Lady Layla." Thor introduced. I looked at him with an eyebrow raised. "Layla." He corrected. I looked at Loki and smiled.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Layla." He spoke. His accented voice was soft and made me want to melt. I looked to the others and saw that they were still cautious. I got an idea and ran to the stairs. I sprinted to my room, grabbed a movie and ran back upstairs. They all looked at me like I was insane. I gave the movie to Tony as I tried to catch my breath.

" _Bonding movie night?"_ I asked him. Thankfully, he and the others learned sign language so they could understand me better. He looked at the movie and showed it to the others.

"Bonding movie night?" he wondered. The others looked at it and nodded. "Ok! Fellowship of the Ring! Everybody, get pajamas on meet back up here!" Tony ordered. I smiled and jumped in excitement, earning a laugh from everybody. We all split up and went to our floors. I went to my room and got some pajama pants and a pullover on. After I was dressed, I went back upstairs. Tony, Pepper, Thor, Loki, and Bruce were already there. I sat down on one of the couches in between Thor and Loki.

"What is this 'movie' about?" Thor wondered.

" _It's about a hobbit and he gets a magic ring and he has to destroy it_." I signed.

"What is a h-hobbit?" Loki asked me. I turned to him with slightly widened eyes.

" _You understand sign language?"_ I asked him.

"Thor told me that you spoke with your hands so I decided to learn to understand it." He told me. I blushed slightly with a smile.

" _Hobbits are small creatures. They have hairy feet and eat a lot_." I explained, making him laugh as well as Thor when he translated.

"Sounds interesting." He joked, making me grin. The others arrived after a few more minutes. We all sat down and Tony started the movie. I quickly ran and made popcorn during the beginning. Passing out two bowls, I sat back down in between Thor and Loki. The three of us watched in amazement. I've always loved these movies. The beauty of New Zealand, the friendship, the swords; all of it made me happy. The others were beginning to nod off about an hour in but Loki, Thor and I were wide-awake, watching in wonder. When it ended, the others were almost asleep.

"That was enjoyable!" Thor exclaimed, jolting everyone awake. I smiled at his enthusiasm and we all sat in silence until Bruce got up.

"Well, I'm heading to bed. Night, everyone." He mumbled, heading to the elevator.

"I'm turning in, too. Good night." Steve told us. Tony looked at the three of us.

"Thor, Loki, there's a guest floor under Clint's. Lay will show you." He grumbled before following Pepper to bed.

"Wait, do they find the hobbits? What happens?" Loki asked.

" _You guys want to watch the next movie?"_ I asked them, standing before them.

"If it doesn't bother you." He said, quietly.

" _Are you kidding? I love these movies! Let's go!"_ I signed happily. The two brothers laughed. I grabbed my movie from the DVD player and I guided them to the elevator. " _This is my floor number. That one is yours_." I told them, pointing at the numbered buttons.

"Thank you, Layla. For assisting us." Loki thanked, looking me in the eyes.

" _No problem, Loki_." I smiled, shyly. The doors opened and I walked to the TV. I put the Fellowship away and grabbed Two Towers. My Doctor Who wall clock said it was 11:45 but I was still almost wide-awake. I put Two Towers in and the brothers sat down on the couches. I sat next to Loki and Thor took a couch to himself. We all relaxed as the movie played. After a while, my eyes were starting to droop. I resisted for a while before I eventually rested my head on his shoulder. He tensed a little but soon relaxed. When the credits began rolling, Loki had his head on mine and we were both about to fall asleep. There was a loud snore and we jumped apart. I rubbed my eyes and looked at Thor. He was past out on the couch hugging a pillow like a teddy bear. I giggled and poked Loki. He glanced at him before chuckling. " _I don't think we're going to get him downstairs. Would you like to stay here tonight?"_ I asked him.

"If you have room for me." He replied. I nodded and showed him the guest bedroom. Before I turned to my room, I felt him grab my shoulder. He turned me gently to face him. I looked up at him and we stared at each other for a moment. "Thank you for your hospitality." He smiled, softly. I nodded and a small smile.

" _I'll always be there if you need me."_ I signed before heading to my room. I pulled back the covers and smiled before falling asleep.

It's been about 2 months since Thor and Loki moved in. Loki and I have grown really close. We always hang out, read, watch movies, or just talk. Nothing huge is going on and it's boring. The other Avengers have gotten used to having Loki around which is good. Tonight, I was watching Harry Potter with Loki when JARVIS's voice sounded from the intercom.

"Miss Jackson, Loki, there is a disturbance in the penthouse." He told us.

"What's happening?" Loki asked as we headed for the elevator.

"It appears Mr. Stark has gotten drunk. More than usual." He told us. I rolled my eyes and we went up. The doors opened and loud voices hit our ears.

"Tony, that's enough!" Pepper yelled.

"I'm ffffine! Harmless drinking, Pepps." He replied, stumbling and throwing back a shot.

"Tony, you've had enough to drink. You should rest." Loki reasoned. Tony pointed at Loki but his finger shook.

"You don't tell me what to do! You tried to kill meh! All of us!" he spun around, seriously drunk. I moved forward and took the glass out of his hand.

"Hey, Layyy." He grumbled, before breaking out into giggles. I glared at him and he stopped. "You wanna say somethin'? Go on, say it." He told me. I shook my head and he got mad. "Pathetic. Daddy and mommy hated me so I ain't gonna talk to nobody!" He yelled. My eyes widened and I backed away.

"Stark!" Clint growled. Tony looked at me with regret but walked away. I felt tears welling up in my eyes as everyone gasped.

"Layla…" Nat whispered, walking towards me. They all were staring at me. The sound of my heart pounding echoed in my ears as my family stared at me in worry. My eye twitched and I turned invisible. I ran as fast as I could to the stairs as the others called after to me. Memories flashed before my eyes as I climbed each flight of stairs and finally made it to the roof. I stood at the very top of the Tower, looking down over the city. I turned visible and sat down. I pulled my knees to my chest and cried. I didn't ask for this. I didn't want to be a mutant. I don't want to be mute. No one understands that. I cried until I had no tears left. I lay down on my back and looked at the starry sky above. Taking deep breaths, I still felt tears sliding down my face but I just looked at the stars. I was so high up I felt like I could reach out and touch them.

"Beautiful aren't they?" a voice asked. I jumped up to see Loki, looking at me. I nodded slowly.

" _How did you find me?"_ I wondered. He came over and sat down next to me.

"I had a feeling I would find you up here." He told me with a small smile.

" _Why are you here?"_ I questioned.

"I wanted to make sure you were alright. Are you?" he asked, looking down at me. I nodded but he gave me a 'seriously' look. I sighed and shook my head. He wrapped an arm around me and pulled me close to him. We gazed at the stars in silence. "What did he mean? What Tony said?" he asked me softly. I took a deep breath and moved to sit in front of him with my legs crossed. I felt a little wary of telling Loki my story but I felt like I needed to. I held up my hands and began.

" _I was an accident. My parents hated me but my older sister, Reagan, took care of me. I lived with her and her husband, Jake. I was shy, didn't talk to anyone but them. When I was six, the three of us were in a car accident. They both died. I survived with only a broken arm and broken heart. I went mute. Doctors said it was post-traumatic stress. I was sent to live with my parents. They blamed me for their perfect daughter's death. They… they abused me. Beat me almost every day. By the time I reached high school, I was self harming. The kids at school bullied me too. I was an easy victim. I didn't fight back_." I signed. He was looking at me with tears in his eyes and they streamed down mine. I gently pulled my shirt up. I had many scars on my abdomen, from gunshots to knives. " _Phil, Nat, and Clint found me when I ran away, bleeding in a box in an alley. They saved me. Took care of me. Helped with my anxiety and shyness. Comforted me when I had nightmares. They became my new family. And that's the story of me."_ I finished. I looked up at him to see him staring at me. He reached over and grabbed my hands.

"Layla, I promise you. I will never let anyone hurt you again." He swore quietly. My eyes welled up and I threw my arms around his neck. He tensed but relaxed and held me tightly. I cried silently and he ran his hand through my hair, comfortingly. We sat like that for almost an hour, just holding each other.

" _What about you? What's your story?"_ I asked him, curiously. His eyes darkened.

"I was raised on Asgard. I was different from the other children. I didn't want a sword or to fight, I wanted books and peace. I was treated different from Thor. The only people who actually showed me genuine kindness was my mother, Frigga and Thor. Then, about two years ago, _this_ happened. I was getting prepared for my brother's coronation. Then someone came up behind me and all I saw was darkness. I was locked away in my own mind. Sometimes I would get… glimpses of what was happening. It was mostly just places before… I saw a person." He explained, looking at me. I looked at him, confused. He just stared at me for a while before he sighed. "I'm a monster, Layla. I found this out when I came back." He whispered. He looked up at me and closed his eyes. I watched as the dark blue covered his pale skin. His eyes opened and they were a deep blood red. He watched me, as if waiting for me to run. I stared with wide eyes before gently reaching out, cupping his face with my hand.

" _You are no monster, Loki. You're beautiful_." I signed, smiling at him. He changed back to his normal form, watching me with teary eyes. The two of us stared into each other's eyes until he broke contact.

"We should get some sleep." He whispered to me. He stood up and I held my arms out for him to carry me. He chuckled at my youthfulness before swooping down. He put an arm under my knees and another supporting my back. I curled into his chest as he took me inside. We got to the elevator and rode to my floor. I saw that Nat and Clint were passed out on the couches. I smiled as Loki carried to my room. He tucked me into bed and began to walk away before I grabbed his hand. Loki looked back at me.

" _Stay with me?"_ I signed. He nodded and went to the other side of the bed. He pulled back the blankets and I turned around. I cuddled close to his cool chest and he wrapped an arm around my waist.

"Good night, Lay." He whispered, kissing my forehead. I smiled before I fell into a deep sleep.

A/N: Hello, my lovely readers 3 I hope you enjoyed this story so far and thank you so much for all the support. I love you all and remember that 'happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light' (Albus Dumbledore).


	9. Chapter 9

I woke up to an empty bed. For some reason, I felt sad that he wasn't there. I remembered last night and how I told Loki my story. Maybe I scared him off. I sighed before getting up and dressed. I walked out of my room, rubbing my eyes. I walked into the kitchen to see Loki at the oven. He turned towards me when he tapped on the door frame.

"Good morning." He smiled. I smiled at him, curiously.

" _What are you doing?"_ I asked, raising my eyebrow.

"Um, I tried to make you breakfast but I think I burnt the eggs." He told me, shamefully. I moved to his side to see a black, steaming goop on a pan. I laughed at him and soon he joined in. I turned the oven off and moved the pan off the burner.

" _Here, you want to try something magical?"_ I smirked.

"Sure. What is it?" he wondered, cocking his head to the side. I opened one of the cabinets and pulled out a box. "Lucky Charms?" He laughed. I nodded, a huge grin on my face. "How do we prepare it?" He asked. I set it down on the bar and pointed at a stool, signaling for him to sit. I grabbed two bowls, two spoons, and a carton of milk. I sat down opposite of Loki and poured the cereal into his bowl. He watched me in curiosity and I smiled, softly. I finished preparing our breakfasts and started to eat. We sat in silence until we both finished. Loki stood up and walked over to the TV. I watched him as he put a DVD in. I put our dishes away and sat down as The Big Bang Theory title screen came up. "Clint recommended that I watch this with you. He says you really enjoy it." He explained. I smiled and we sat on a couch together. I put the pilot episode on and we watched. At one point, he wrapped an arm around my shoulders and I leaned into his shoulder. We laughed together at the jokes. I looked up at him and he glanced down at me. His bright green eyes were staring into my pale ones. We were both leaning in. Our lips were about to meet when they elevator dinged. The two of us jumped apart, blushing like mad. Nat and Clint walked in. I stood up and they hugged me tightly.

"You ok?" she asked me. I nodded, a small smile on my face.

"Good. We got a mission. Get ready. Penthouse in ten." Clint told me. I nodded and turned to Loki.

" _I'm sorry. I got to go."_ I signed. He stood up and walked to me.

"It's all right, Layla. I'll see you when you get back. Be careful." He told me, kissing my forehead. I blushed and he disappeared into the elevator. My two best friends smirked at me.

"Well, that was cute." Nat informed me. I rolled my eyes and I went to my room. I opened my closet holding my suit and pulled it out. Slipping it on, I strapped on my holsters. I took a deep breath as I grabbed all my weapons and extra ammo. I left my room and went to the elevator. It opened at the penthouse and I saw Clint, Nat, and Tony waiting there. My eyes widened when I saw Tony. He looked like shit. His eyes were red and bloodshot, dark purple bags hung from them. He walked over to me, making me stop.

"Layla, I am so sorry for what I said last night. I got out of hand with the drinks. What can I do to make you forgive me?" he apologized. I raised my fist and punched him in the nose. "Ow!" he cried, holding his nose. The others were struggling to hold back their laughter. "I deserved that. Am I forgiven or do I need a broken jaw too?" he asked, looking up at me.

" _Say anything like that again and drunk or not, I will throw you from the top of your tower."_ I threatened, a small smirk on my face.

"Done deal." He told me, quickly. I smiled and hugged him.

"Lay, time to go." Clint called. I pulled away from Tony and followed them to the air pad on the roof. A quinjet was waiting for us. We all got in and Nat got in the pilot's seat.

"Our mission is in Russia, our target – Alexei Volkov. He's a weapons dealer selling weapons to SHIELD's enemies. We have to take him and his base out." Clint explained. I nodded and we were in the air. I was sharpening my swords as Clint and Nat were talking about strategies. We got there after about 8 hours. Nat landed the plane in a forest, a couple miles away from the location of our target.

"You guys ready?" Nat asked as we checked our weapons.

"Ready as I'll ever be." Clint said, grabbing his bow. I nodded as my answer and the ramp opened. I held my swords tightly in my hands as a blast of wind blew into the plane. We ran into the snowy forest, weapons held high. I stayed at Nat and Clint's sides, walking in between them. I noticed movement in the trees and tackled Clint to the ground just as a rifle went off. The bullet hit the ground where he stood. Clint shot an arrow into the foliage and a cry sounded before a body fell to the ground.

"Thanks." He breathed.

"Their base is 4 kilometers that way. Keep your eyes open for more snipers." Nat told us. I nodded and we stealthily moved through the trees. My eyes snapped back and forth, scanning for potential threats. We walked in silence for about 2 hours, occasionally taking breaks. The sun was setting and it was getting darker. I was pulled into a bush and the three of us could see the building.

"There it is." Nat whispered, pointing at a huge house.

" _Game plan?"_ I signed.

"Ok, there is a secret entrance Clint, you and Lay go in. Distract the guards and I'll move in on the target." Nat explained. We got ready to go and started moving around the facility. I holstered my swords and grabbed my pistols. We stayed a distance away from the door. When it was in sight, Clint held up his bow.

"You ready, Lay?" he wondered. I nodded and he shot the guards. The two of us ran to the door. I kicked down the door and held up my gun. There were about 15-20 guys in the hall alone. I smirked as they pulled their guns out. Arrows and bullets were flying as we attacked. I went invisible, switching my guns for my swords. I ran to every soldier in my path, stabbing them through the chest. When every body was on the ground, I turned visible and turned to Clint. He nodded at me and we started down the hall before a lone gunshot rang through the hall. I gasped as I felt a piercing pain in my arm. "Lay! Get down!" Clint yelled, drawing his bowstring. I ducked behind a pillar and tended to my arm. The bullet didn't do much damage, just a flesh wound. I pulled out a knife, hearing more guns fired and the snap of Clint's bow as he launched more arrows. I bit down on my lip and dug the knife into my arm. Groaning, I scraped the bullet out of the tissue. It clinked onto the floor as blood seeped from the wound. I ripped a part of my pant leg and tied it tightly around it. I got back up to see Clint had finished off the second wave of soldiers. "You all right?" he asked me, worriedly.

" _Just a flesh wound. I'll be fine."_ I signed. We stayed on high alert, as we kept moving through the halls. We checked every room and took out more guards. After killing more people, Nat call us through the comms.

"Mission complete. Let's get out of here." Clint and I started making our way to the exit. I felt haunted by all the bodies around me, bodies I put there. I shivered at the thought before snapping back to reality. The three of us ran through the building, leaving the back door.

"Are we just gonna leave this place standing for someone to find it?" I asked them when we were safe in the forest.

"Of course not. We need to get a safe distance away." Nat smirked. My eyes widened before I quickly followed the two through the woods. A booming explosion went off after a minute, making me flinch.

"Nice one." Clint told Nat and I gave her a thumbs up.

"Thank you." She laughed. It took a few hours to get to the quinjet.

"On our way home at last." I signed as the ramp lowered.

"I'm excited to take a nap." Clint sighed. He sat in the pilot's seat this time. I tied a more absorbent fabric around the wound on my arm, not bothering to check it out. I decided to read to keep myself awake. Nat was giving Director Fury a mission report. After a few hours, I got bored of reading and stood up. I stretched my back and legs before moving to Clint. I rested a hand on his shoulder, making him jump and look up at me.

" _Go rest. I'll take over_." I told him.

"Are you sure?" he asked before yawning. I nodded with a small smile and he got up. I sat down, taking over the plane. Watching the white clouds pass, I flew the jet from Spain to New York. It took hours to get home. By the time we got there, we were barely keeping our eyes open. The sky was already dark. I landed on the helicopter pad and followed them out of the plane.

" _Don't know about you guys but I'm sleeping for the next two weeks_." I said. They let out breathy laughs as we walked out of the plane. The three of us walked inside. We stumbled straight to the elevator, the exhaustion of the mission taking its toll. I got to my floor and waited for the doors to shut before I finally took a deep breath. Walking to my bedroom, I changed into a tank top and baggy sweatpants before I finally checked my arm. I went to the bathroom and sat on the bathtub. I untied the fabric and saw the dried wound. Since I wasn't a medical person, I cut the surrounding skin while getting the bullet out. I hissed in pain as I inspected my shitty bullet removal job.

"Layla?" a new voice called. I automatically smiled as I jumped up and ran to the living room. "Layla!" Loki exclaimed, running towards me. He hugged me tightly, holding me against him. I slowly wrapped my arms around his waist, due to my shortness. He pulled away, his smile still there until he saw my arm. "What happened?" he asked, his eyes widened and smile gone.

" _One of the soldiers got me. Just a flesh wound. Nothing serious_." I told him. He didn't reply, just heading to the bathroom and exiting with a first-aid kit.

"Sit." He ordered, pointing at the bar. I complied and sat down on one of the stools. He pulled out a needle and thread. Gently, he took my arm. "This will sting." He told me, looking worried. I shrugged and nodded for him to go ahead. I squeezed my eyes as I felt the needle go into my skin. After he finished, I had teary eyes. He wrapped the stitched cut with bandages. "There. All done." He said. I looked up at him and smiled.

" _Thank you, Loki_." I told him.

"It's no problem, Lay." He replied. There was something in his eyes that I couldn't place. He started to lean in, and I did the same. It was like slow motion as our lips met. Immediately, I wrapped my arms around his neck and his went around my waist. I enjoyed the feeling of his cool lips on mine. I gently ran my fingers through his soft hair. We had to break apart for air, looking each other in the eyes. "Will you be my girl friend, Layla?" he asked me, saying 'girlfriend' slowly. I pretended to think for a moment before I nodded with a huge smile. His eyes widened, his huge smile reappearing. He kissed my lips again and I felt a warm feeling flood through my stomach. When we pulled away, I couldn't help but yawn. "You should get some sleep." He chuckled. Before I could stand up, he pulled me off the bar stool bridal style and started carrying me to my room. I smiled and resting my head on his shoulder. He kicked open my door gently and walked inside. He spun around playfully before laying me on the bed. I pulled back the covers and he went around to the other side of the bed. We both covered ourselves in the blankets. I rolled towards him. He wrapped his arm around my waist as my back was pressed into his chest. I smiled as I intertwined our fingers. I felt his cool lips kiss my neck and jawbone. "Good night, love." He whispered. I opened my mouth, desperately wanting to reply, but no words made it out.

The next day, I awoke to soft breathing. I opened my eyes and saw that I was half lying on Loki, our legs entwined together. He snored lightly, his chest moving up and down steadily with each breath. Smirking, I gently sat up and stood against the wall, turning invisible. His green eyes flickered open and glanced around the room.

"Lay?" he called, groggily. I giggled quietly as he pulled himself to his feet. "Layla?" he called again, shuffling around the bed. When he was a few feet away, I jumped on him. He gasped in shock and he stumbled backwards. I turned visible and I bust out laughing as he calmed down. I dropped from his back and doubled over laughing. He smirked at me and disappeared. It was my turn to gasp. I felt the air where he just was but he was gone. Suddenly, arms wrapped around me and picked me up. I squealed as Loki laughed. We fell back onto the bed laughing.

" _You can teleport?"_ I asked him. All of a sudden, there was about 10 Lokis standing around the bed.

"I _am_ the god of mischief." One of them smirked, cockily. I rolled my eyes and we just looked at each other, the images disappearing. He pecked my lips before standing up and leaving the room. I followed shortly after and looked at him.

" _What do you want to do today?"_ I asked him.

"Game of Thrones?" he thought. I nodded quickly. He laughed. "You have an unhealthy obsession with that franchise, love." He told me, shaking his head slightly with a smile.

" _I find if fascinating."_ I said, shrugging. We grabbed some orange juice and went to the living room. He sat next to me as I put an episode on. Loki wrapped his arm around my shoulders and leaned my head on his shoulder.

"Who's your favorite character?" he asked me during the title sequence. I thought for a moment before replying, raising my hands.

" _Daenerys. She's strong. Not afraid to fight for what she wants. You?_ " I answered.

"Tyrion. He kind of reminds me of myself." He replied, smiling softly. I kissed his cheek and continued watching. Just after the episode ended, he looked down at me. "Would you like to go for a walk?" he wondered. I nodded, smiling. "Go get dressed and I'll meet you in the penthouse." He told me. I kissed his cheek and went to my room. I looked through my closet and pulled out a cute outfit. I hopped into the shower and cleaned my hair and body. After I dried off, I got dressed in something warm and did my makeup. When I finished, I went into the elevator and hit the penthouse button. I fixed my hair before the doors opened. I saw Loki sitting on a couch, talking to Steve and Tony. I smiled warmly at how they were getting along. Loki fit in really well, making friends with the other guys after they started to trust him. I walked to the couch he sat in and hugged him from behind.

"I guess this means you two are finally together?" Tony smirked.

"Yes, Tony, we are 'together'." Loki answered, rolling his eyes playfully. I kissed Loki's cheek and stood back up. "You ready to go?" he wondered. I nodded and he got up.

"I'll talk to you later, Steve, Tony." He told them.

"Have fun." Steve said.

"But not too much fun." Tony added, smiling warmly. Loki held out his arm for me to take, a small smirk on her face. I laughed and took it. He led me to the elevator and we got in. He looked down at me.

"You look beautiful, love." He grinned. I blushed and glanced up at him. He cupped my face with his hand and kissed me softly. The doors opened in the lobby and he took my hand in his as we left the tower. The sun was shining brightly and I inhaled the fresh air. We mindlessly drifted down the streets of New York City. People were bustling about around us and cars drove by us as we walked. Some how, we made it to Central Park. "It's beautiful." Loki murmured. I smiled, squeezing his hand in mine as an answer. We traveled along the path, gazing at the beautiful trees. Squirrels chased each other around and birds flew through the air. Eventually, we got tired and sat on a bench to rest. Loki wrapped his arm around my shoulders and I leaned into his chest. We just sat there, enjoying the outside and each other's company. The next thing we knew was the sun beginning to set. "We should get back to the Tower." He told me. I groaned and he chuckled. He gently stood up and stretched before holding his hand out for me. I lazily took it and made him pull me up. "You're so cute when you're sleepy." He smiled. I blushed and looked up at him.

" _You're cute when you're sleeping_." I smirked and he blushed. He grabbed my hand and kissed it as we began walking again. The stars were out by the time we got to the lobby. I slid my hand from Loki's and turned to him. " _I had a lot of fun, Loki."_ I signed, smiling.

"I did, too, Lay." He replied, kissing my cheek. We got to my floor and I looked at him.

" _What do you want for dinner?"_ I asked. He shrugged his shoulders. I decided on microwave pizzas. I put his in first and then mine. After I put them on plates, I set them down on the bar. He sat down across from me and we started to eat. When we finished, we sat down and watched some more Game of Thrones. My eyes started to droop after a few episodes and I heard the TV pause. Arms went under my legs and around my back. I felt myself being carried. I was set on my bed and I groaned. I grabbed a tank top and shorts from my closet. Loki left my room before I started changing. When I finished, I knocked on the door, signaling him that he can come back in. He had changed into a pair of sweatpants Steve gave him and a tight shirt. We silently crawled under the covers and I moved into his side. He wrapped a cool arm around my waist.

"I love you, Layla." He whispered. My heart skipped a beat in my chest. I opened my mouth but nothing but a small, quick squeak. I buried my face into his chest, feeling tears bud in my eyes. He pulled back, looking shocked. "What is wrong?" he asked, flabbergasted. I sat up and turned to him.

" _I want to talk! I want to stop being a burden! I want to be able to say I love you too with my mouth."_ I sobbed. He pulled me into his chest and I cried into his shirt.

"Shhhh." He whispered soothingly. We stayed like that and he pulled away, looking me in the eyes. "One day, you will be able to speak. I will help you in anyway I can. I swear to you." He told me, kissing my forehead. I smiled sadly before pressing my lips to his. I clung to him as we lay back down and drifted to sleep.


	10. Chapter 10

It's been almost a year since the Battle of New York. Loki and I are still going strong. Nat and Clint finally got together, Steve met this girl named Sharon and they started going out. She was a really sweet girl. Bruce also met a girl named Juliet, who's a SHIELD chemist. Thor reconnected with Jane Foster, a physicist he met the first time he was on Earth. Tony and Pepper are still together and Tony was thinking of proposing soon. Basically, we're all in relationships. I befriended all the girls quickly and they all stayed at the Tower. Tonight, most of us were gathered in the penthouse. We sat with each other, drinking and eating. I leaned into Loki's chest and his arm was wrapped around my shoulders.

"My fellow Avengers! I have news!" Tony announced, walking towards us.

"What is it?" Steve wondered, leaning forward so he could see behind Sharon's head.

"The one year anniversary of the invasion is this weekend. We are throwing a ball!" he told us, excitedly.

"A what now?" Clint asked, raising an eyebrow.

"A ball! You know, a fancy party! Dresses, dancing, shit like that." Tony clarified. I looked up at Loki and he smiled down at me.

"We're up for it." He said, squeezing me gently. I smiled at how much he's changed. He's less shy, more mischievous. He's learned more Earth terms over the year but his lovable accent is still there.

"Us too." The others replied.

"Yes! Girls can go shopping for themselves and boys will do the same." He explained, plopping down a couch and pulling Pepper close to him. "How about a movie night?" he asked us. I got up and grabbed a movie. I held it out for them to see and they nodded with grins on their faces.

"How fitting." Steve said as I put the first Hobbit movie in the DVD player.

"God, we are such dorks." Bruce sighed.

" _No, we're super dorks_." I joked, making the others laugh at my awful pun. I quickly crawled back into Loki's arms as the movie started.

"I love you." He muttered, kissing my hair. I turned to him and kissed him, giving him my reply. We all sat quietly, watching the movie with our significant others. When the credits rolled, I let out a loud yawn. The others chuckled and I blushed.

"Ok. Tomorrow morning, I'll take you all to the ballroom we're renting. The ball is Friday night, the anniversary. That gives us a few days to get every thing ready." Tony told us.

"Come on, love. Let's get some sleep." Loki said, pulling me up. He held my hand and led me to the elevator. We went to our shared room and got ready for bed. I jumped onto the bed and spread out over the entire bed. Loki raised an eyebrow at me as he stood on his side of the bed.

"Really?" he asked, trying to stop the smile from forming on his face.

" _You know you love me_." I smirked. He picked me up and crawled into bed next to me. My back was to his chest and our legs were entangled with each other's. A shiver ran up my spine when cold lips met my neck. I couldn't help the soft moan that escaped my lips when he found my sweet spot and began to suck on it gently. After undoubtedly leaving a mark, he detached himself from my neck and kissed my cheek.

"Good night, love." He whispered. I smiled before I fell asleep.

I woke up with strong arms wrapped around my body.

"Good morning, love." Loki whispered, kissing my forehead. I smiled, reached up, and pecked his cheek. I stood up but was blocked. My eyes widened as smirking Loki's surrounded me. I looked back at him, shock on my face.

" _You can do that?"_ I asked him.

"I am the god of mischief." One of them smirked cockily. The one on our bed had disappeared. The images faded and the real Loki walked over to me.

" _You can teleport too?" I wondered. He vanished and_ strong arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me back onto the bed.

"Yes I can." I giggled as I lay next to him. We cuddled together for a little while before I got up.

" _We should get dressed_." I told him. He smiled at me, a look in his eyes. " _What?"_ I asked him. He took my hands in his, sitting up.

"I love your hands." He whispered, kissing both of my knuckles. I blushed before kissing his lips. I went to my closet and grabbed an outfit before heading to the bathroom. After starting the water, I took my clothes off and stood in front of the mirror. I just stood there, waiting for the water to warm. Glancing down at my neck, I sighed when I saw a hickey on my neck. Shaking my head with a small smile on my face, I stepped into the shower. When I finished showering, I turned the water off and grabbed a towel. I dried myself off and wrapped my hair. I looked at the multiple scars covering my body. I ran my fingers lightly over the scar tissue.

"They're beautiful, Layla." A voice said, making me turn invisible. I turned around to see a dressed Loki leaning against the doorframe, a solemn smile on his face. Slowly, I reappeared, not caring that he saw me naked.

" _No, they're not Loki_." I argued, looking down. He made me look at him, suddenly in front of me.

"They are. They're a part of you. Another reason you are absolutely beautiful." He smiled, cupping my cheek with his hand. He gently took one of my wrists and gently ran his thumbs over the thin scars. "These are proof that you are strong. Stronger than the Hulk. You didn't give up." He assured me. I felt tears well up in my eyes before I flung my arms around his neck. He held me tightly for a while before he set me down again. "Get dressed. I'll wait for you in the living room." He told me, pecking my lips before leaving. I wiped my eyes and got dressed. I left the bathroom and we went up to the penthouse. Tony and the others were talking with each other.

"Okay, today is shopping day. Sharon, Jane, Natasha, Layla, and Juliet, Pepper is taking you all to the mall for dresses and shit like that. I'm taking the men to get suits and our shit." Tony explained. I rolled my eyes and followed Pepper and the girls. We all piled into a car and Pepper drove.

"God, I'm so excited!" Jane squealed.

"Is it the ball or seeing Thor in his suit?" Nat winked, making Jane blush red. I laughed and she turned to me.

"You have no room to talk, Lay. Have fun with Loki last night?" she smirked evilly, referring to the hickey on my neck. I felt heat rush to my cheeks as they cooed.

"C'mon, guys. Be nice. Love birds gotta love." Pepper scolded. It was just chatter until we got to the mall.

"Sunglasses everyone." Juliet said. We all put our sunglasses on to avoid being recognized by paparazzi. The six of us walked into the mall, which was bustling with activity.

"Ok, first stop. Dresses. I know the perfect store." Pepper told us, leading us to a dress store. "Who wants to go first?" she asked when we got inside. Sharon slowly raised her hand. Pepper grabbed her hand and threw her towards a dressing room. "Get in there. We'll find your dress." Pepper ordered. She glanced at us with a terrified look before going inside. We all scavenged the store until we found the perfect dress.

"Sharon! We found it!" Juliet called. Sharon stuck her arm out of the dressing room and she handed the dress to her. After a few minutes, the door slowly opened. The five of us gasped. It was perfect for her.

"Steve will love it, Sharon." Nat smiled. She blushed a little before going back in to take it off.

"Juliet. You're turn." Nat smirked. She squeaked as she was shoved into another dressing room. Sharon came out with her dress in her arms. I gently took it from her and set it down on the bench with our stuff.

"Thank you, Layla." She grinned. We grabbed dresses for Juliet, Jane, Pepper, and Natasha before they all turned to me. I walked to the dressing room and stripped down. After a few minutes, a bunch of fabric was thrown over the door. I found the opening and slipped the smooth dress on. I maneuvered my arms to zip it up before walking out. They all gasped. I felt myself turn invisible for a second before staying visible.

"Lay, it looks beautiful." Nat breathed.

"Loki will adore it." Juliet added. I blushed before going to take the dress off. We spent the rest of the day buying accessories and having a good time. All of us had hulking bags of stuff. Thank God Tony's a billionaire. We got home at around 7 and parted ways. I went to my floor and it was silent. I looked around for Loki but he wasn't there. Sighing, I went to my room. I pulled on some pajama pants and a tank top before going to the kitchen. Pouring myself a glass of whiskey, I gulped it down and put on Big Bang Theory. After a few episodes, I went back to our room. I crawled into bed. I felt cold without Loki at my side. I lie on my back, staring at the ceiling. I haven't had nightmares since Loki started to stay with me. What if I have one when he isn't here? Shaking the thought of my head, I curled into covers and fell asleep.

My eyes opened to the sun streaming through my window. I groaned and sat up. I checked the time, blinking the sleep from my eyes. It's only 9. I flopped back unto my bed and covered my eyes with the blankets. Distantly, the elevator dinged but I ignored it.

"Layla! Wake up!" I heard Juliet yell. I groaned loudly as my door opened.

"Wake up! Wake up!" The girls all shouted, jumping on my bed. My blankets were yanked off me and I turned onto my back.

"C'mon, Lay! The ball's tonight!" Nat told me. I gave them a thumbs up and pulled a pillow over my face. It was yanked off and someone smacked me in the face with it. I sat up and rubbed my eyes. They all were sitting on my bed, smiling at me.

" _What?"_ I signed, tiredly.

"It's time to get ready!" Pepper said, getting up.

" _It's not until tonight!"_ I reminded her, furrowing my eyebrows.

"Yeah and we have six girls to shower, dress, and make up. We all have men to woo." She retorted. I followed them out to my living room. "The order is Juliet, Sharon, Jane, Layla, Natasha, and I will be last. You take a shower, get a robe on, and then go to makeup and hair. Girls waiting sit and watch TV. Juliet, get in the shower." Pepper ordered. She nodded, grabbed her shower bag and disappeared into the bathroom. I grabbed 'The Princess Bride' and put that in. We all watched it while Juliet showered. I lent each of them a robe for when they got out. When she came out, clad in a fluffy robe, Pepper sat her down at the bar and began to do her hair. Sharon went to take a shower next. This continued, shower then hair, for hours. I ended up staring at the wall, thinking of what Loki was up to.

"Layla. You're up." Nat called.

" _Thank god for infinite warm water_." I signed as I walked past her. I closed the door and started the shower before stripping down. Checking my neck in the mirror, I sighed in relief to see the hickey Loki gave me was gone. Stepping into the warm water, I cleaned my hair. I cautiously grabbed my razor and lifted my leg. I slowly shaved my legs before rubbing citrus-scented shower gel all over my body. Once I washed all the bubbles from my skin, I turned off the water and stepped out. I dried off and wrapped my fluffy grey robe around me. I slowly walked out of the bathroom to the others. Pepper just finished Natasha's hair, which looked amazing, and gestured for me to sit down. She did my hair as the other girls put on Mulan. When she finished, she took her shower and Nat did her hair. It was already 2 when we all finished and the limo was coming at 6. Yeah, Tony got us a limo too. Damn egotistical rich bastard. We moved onto makeup. This was Juliet's specialty. She had a huge case of brushes and powders and sponges, plus the stuff we got for the ball. We went up one at a time and she made us all look gorgeous.

" _Juliet, you're amazing!"_ I told her when I looked in the mirror.

"I know." She smiled. We all finished around four and we helped each other get in our dresses. I put on a strapless bra and underwear on before slipping on the silky dress. The girls didn't mention the long thin scars on my back or the assorted oval ones of my abdomen, for which I was extremely grateful. I held the top of the dress up and Sharon zipped it up for me. Nodding my head as a thank you, I grabbed my shoes. I sat down on the couch, waiting for the time to go by. Before we knew it, it was six.

"Miss Potts, the limo is out front." JARVIS told us.

"Thank you!" She replied.

"Ok, let's go girls!" Sharon cheered. We all laughed and went to the elevator. "God, I'm so excited." Sharon smiled. I nodded in agreement and the doors opened. I felt a weird feeling that something was going to happen but I shoved it down. The six of us carefully climbed into the limo. I nervously checked myself in a mirror.

"Lay, it'll be fun. Don't fret you look absolutely amazing." Juliet told me, giving me an assuring smile. I grinned shyly as the car started and we were on our way to the ball.

" _I feel like Cinderella_." I signed, making the others laugh.

"We are all princesses tonight." Sharon said. The limo stopped. We were there. I took a deep breath before following the others out. There was a crowd heading into the building. We all walked through the doors before moving to the bars. The huge room was below us. A railing lined the second floor, which we were on. There was a marble staircase that led to the dance floor. We found the guys, who were waiting at the bottom of the stairs.

"Show time, girls. Follow me." Pepper told us. We moved to the top of the stairs and they all looked up.

Loki's POV

I took deep breaths. I've been to many balls on Asgard but never one with the girl I loved at my side. I reached into my jacket, fumbling with the small box in my pocket.

"Loki." Clint called. I looked at him and the others were all staring at the top of the stairs. I followed their gaze and gasped.

Layla's POV

All their mouths dropped. We stood in a line, descending down the staircase together. Sharon got to the bottom first in her sky blue gown and walked to Steve, whose eyes were practically bulging from his skull. Juliet, clad in a violet ball gown, moved towards Bruce and he kissed her cheek affectionately. Pepper strolled to Tony in her scarlet gown, making Tony drool. Nat wore a black ensemble with silver accents went to Clint and Jane, whose dress was navy blue, went to Thor. I was last. My gown was a forest green, the skirt flaring out around me. The bodice had beautiful silver accents. I smiled shyly up at Loki and his eyes met mine, full of love.

"You look absolutely stunning." He whispered. I blushed before standing on my tiptoes and kissing him. We all found a table before we went our own ways. I stayed at Loki's side, not really knowing what to do. He held an arm around my waist, holding me close to him. "Would you like to dance?" he asked. I glanced up at him and nodding, a smile forming on my face. He held out his arm and I took it. He led me to the dance floor. He placed a hand on my waist and I put mine on his shoulder. We took each other's hands before starting to sway and spin. It felt like we danced forever. I felt complete bliss; dancing with the man I loved. We stared into each other's eyes, getting lost in them. After a while, we stopped. "Layla, could I talk to you in private?" he asked, suddenly. I tilted my head to the side but nodded. He took my hand and gently led me outside. There was an open balcony, the stars twinkling in the sky. We stood there in silence, just staring at the stars for a minute before he turned me to face him. His face was bright, a huge grin on his face.

" _What is it?"_ I asked, curiously.

"When I was under that spell, one year ago, I saw a person in the darkness. A girl. I fell in love, in the flashes of the real world. I saw _you_ , Layla. We've known each other only a year but it has been the best year of my entire life. I love you, Layla, and I will forever. I have a question to ask you." He told me. My hands flew to my mouth as he dropped to one knee. He pulled out a small velvet box and opened it, revealing a beautiful silver ring with a large emerald in the center. "Layla Jackson, will you marry me?" he asked me. Time stopped and tears burst in my eyes. I withdrew my hands and opened my mouth. I tried with everything I had and there it was.

"Y-Y-Yes." There was a collection of gasps and I saw the others standing at the doorway, watching. I looked back at Loki's shocked face. "I-I will marry you." I smiled, testing my new voice. Somehow, I adapted an accent, probably from Loki. The other Avengers clapped and cheered. He slipped the ring onto my finger before jumping up. He held my waist and lifted me up, twirling me in the air. "God, I love you. I love you so much." I cried, hugging him as tightly as I could. I pulled away and kissed him passionately on the lips. When we pulled apart, a blood-curdling scream sounded from the ballroom. I met Loki's eyes and we all ran back inside. There was a bright blue hole in the wall, a portal. Tall, dark blue men were coming out of it.

"Frost giants." Loki whispered, eyes wide in fear. He turned to me, holding my shoulders. "Go, hide somewhere." He instructed.

"Sorry, darling, but I'm not going anywhere." I told him. At that moment, Nat tossed me a pistol.

"Fine. Just be careful." He sighed. The entire Avengers team stood, ready to attack and defend.

"Get the girl! Kill all who try to stop you!" One roared and they all charged. I didn't know what girl they were talking about but I started shooting. They were tough sons of bitches but I managed to bring down a few. I turned invisible and pushed some of the guests toward the stairs. My body went visible again and I turned to see a huge giant behind me. I held up my fist and tried to punch him. He responded by grabbing my forearm and squeezing it. I screamed in pain as I heard a loud snap as the bone snapped and punctured my skin. He dropped my arm and I held it, breathing heavily in pain. Then a huge hand gripped my neck and raised me into the air. It was so cold it burned my skin, making me give a cry of pain.

"Layla!" Loki yelled from somewhere. I tried to reply but the hand tightened on my throat, restricting my breathing. My eyes were blurring with pain and lack of oxygen. I was thrown on the ground, my head hitting the marble floor. Large hands picked me off the floor and began to run.

"Loki!" I screamed. Before he could get to me, I was through the portal and it disappeared behind us. The last thing I remembered was intense cold and menacing laughter.

Loki's POV

I watched helplessly as the frost giant carried Layla through the portal.

"No!" I screamed. The others retreated as well and the portal disappeared. I fell to my knees in front of where it used to be. I felt a piercing pain in my head.

"He will make you long for something as sweet as pain!" a deep voice echoed. I gasped, feeling my eyes fill with tears. My jaw shook as a horrific realization came to me.

"It was him! He did this! I have to get her back! I have to save her." I sobbed hysterically. The girls were crying behind me. I felt a hand on my shoulder. My head snapped up to look at Thor with blurry eyes.

"We will save her, Loki. I swear it. We know where she is, we will go and rescue your betrothed." He assured me. I took a deep breath.

"We can't do it alone."

You're welcome. ;)

The outfits for the ball are on my Polyvore if you want to see! This is being a piece of shit so my account name is PandaPerson123 if you're really motivated (You'll have to scroll down a bit)


	11. Chapter 11

Loki's POV

"We can't do it alone."

Thor held out his hand to help me up. I allowed him to pull me to my feet and we turned to the others.

"What are we going to do?" Sharon asked, her voice cracking.

"We're going to get her back." I told them. I closed my eyes and concentrated on teleporting us all to the Tower.

"Woah, what the hell?" Tony exclaimed. Ignoring his panic, I looked to Thor.

"Go to Asgard. Bring them." I instructed. He nodded before his hammer flew into his hands and he disappeared in bright light.

"What the hell do we do now?" Nat asked.

"We should get some sleep. We can't rescue Layla if we're exhausted." Steve told us. I saw that Bruce's eyes were flickering a bright green and Juliet was holding his face in her hands, trying to calm him down. Without a word, I walked straight to the elevator. As soon as the doors closed, I let out a sob and braced myself on the wall.

"Calm down. Calm down. You're going to get her back. You'll see her again and she's going to be fine." I whispered, taking deep breaths. The haunting voice echoed in my head once again as I got to Layla's and my floor. I went to our closet and grabbed some pajamas, pulling them on. I was then aware that tears were drifting down my cheeks in overflowing streams. Sighing, I went to our bed and fell onto it. I inhaled and envisioned her lying there next to me, a smile on her face. I curled into the blankets and forced myself to sleep.

 _I stood in complete darkness. I could see nothing around me._

" _Loki." A voice called, making me turn toward it._

" _Layla." I gasped, a smile on my face. Her face was emotionless. Suddenly, her chest started to bleed._

" _No. No!" I cried, trying to run towards her but I couldn't move._

" _You did this to me, Loki." She said, her voice cold. That made my heart stop. "You could've saved me. But you didn't. I'm suffering because of your stupid mistakes. You_ are _a monster." She growled. I felt tears build up in my eyes. The scene shifted and her face twisted into one of pain. She opened her mouth but nothing came out. Blood was dripping onto floor as she fell to her knees._

" _Please! No!" I screamed. Her tear-filled eyes met mine._

" _Help." She mouthed._

I awoke with a scream. Sweat coated my body as I sat up. Trying to catch my breath, I looked next to me. Layla's side was cold and empty. I put my head in my hands and cried. I cried for Layla. For not being there to keep her safe. I could've made her go hide. Made her stay away but I didn't. I failed her. Now she could be dead for all I know. I stood up and took a deep breath. I left our bedroom and went to the elevator. The tears were drying on my face as I got to the training floor. It was empty as I walked over to the punching bags. I never used these Midgardian methods but I was going to learn. I lifted my fists and punched. And punched. And punched until I was attacking the bag like a madman. I sobbed as my vision blurred. I gave one last punch before falling to my knees. A hand rested on my shoulder and I jumped. I looked up to see Clint staring down at me. Not saying anything, he held out a hand. Shakily, I took it and he pulled me up. Then I noticed that my knuckles were red and bloody.

"Loki. Beating yourself up will help nothing. You gotta stay strong. For her." He told me. I nodded, wiping my eyes. Surprisingly, he pulled me in for a tight hug.

"We'll get her back. You'll see." He promised, his voice cracking.

"I know." I replied. He pulled away and his eyes were wet.

"Go get changed. You smell like a hung-over Tony. Then meet me in the penthouse." He instructed. I managed to chuckle humorlessly but did as he said. I went to our floor and changed into a pair of jeans and a dark green shirt. Lay always told me she loved it. I shook the tears out my eyes and went up to the penthouse. Clint sat at the bar, a drink in his hand.

"Little early for drinking, isn't it?" I asked as I sat beside him.

"It's 5 pm somewhere." He replied. He poured me a glass and I chugged it back. I enjoyed the burning liquid slide down my throat. "We'll get her back, Loki. I know we will. Then, you guys will get married and have little super babies." He told me. I sighed and drank some more.

"What I'm worried about is the state in which we will find her in. The frost giants are merciless beings. They probably took Layla as revenge, for I almost destroyed their planet." I explained. He looked at me with an eyebrow raised. "It was when I was under that spell. I hate the monsters but I would never destroy them." I clarified. He nodded in understanding and we just sat quietly for a moment. All of a sudden, there was a bright light and a loud crash. Clint screamed and jumped up while I just sat there. "Clint, you scream like a woman." I informed him as I stood up. Thor stood in the living room with four people I haven't seen in a long time. "It's great to see you all again." I greeted to Lady Sif, Volstagg, Hogun, and Fandral.

"You too, Loki." They replied. To my surprise, they each came over and hugged me.

"Thor told us of your situation. I swear to it, we will get your lover back." Sif promised.

"Thank you. All of you." I smiled, in which they nodded in response to.

"Alright. Gather the others. We need to figure out our plan." Thor told us all. Clint nodded and ran downstairs. I sat down on the couch and put my head in my hands. I hissed in pain when I realized I hadn't wrapped my wrists from earlier.

"Let me get that." A voice said and I looked up. Natasha stood in front of me with a first aid kit. I could tell she had been crying from her red eyes and the dark purple bags under her eyes. She knelt in front of me and opened the kit. She poured a substance on a cloth before applying it to my cuts. I gasped as burning pain sprouted from my knuckles. "Sorry but it stops infection. If gods get infections." She apologized. I sat quietly as she wrapped my hands in gauze. By the time she was done, the others were all sitting down. They all had been crying. I could see it in their eyes. And I was positive mine were the same if not worse.

"Avengers. This is Lady Sif, Fandral the Dashing, Volstagg the Voluminous, and Hogun the Grim. They are friends of mine and Loki's and they are going to assist us in rescuing Layla." Thor explained.

"Thank you." Steve spoke up.

"It is our honor to help." Sif replied.

"So, what's the plan?" Tony asked. He seemed serious for once and that proved that he wasn't taking Layla's kidnapping well at all.

"We will travel to Jotunheim. It is likely that Layla is being held in the palace where the frost giants' late king, Laufey, once ruled. We will provide cover for Loki as he goes in search of Layla. Understand?" Thor asked the group.

"When do we leave?" Steve wondered.

"Suit up." I ordered. Within an hour, we were all ready to go. I had my green and gold Asgardian armor strapped on.

"Please bring her back." Pepper begged.

"I will, Pepper. And she'll be safe." I told her. I turned to Thor and the others. "To Jotunheim." I said. He raised his hammer to the skies and bright rainbow light surrounded us. I felt weightlessness for a moment before bitter coldness. My eyes scanned the frozen landscape.

"God damn, it's cold." Tony groaned from inside his Iron Man suit. There was a roar and Bruce transformed into the Hulk. Figures were running towards us and I knew they were frost giants.

"Stick to the plan!" I yelled over the gusting wind.

"On it!" Fandral shouted and him and the others ran forward. I pulled out my dagger, ready to stab any giant to cross my path. I went into a full sprint and allowed myself to glide along the icy ground. Determinedly, I ran as fast as I could towards the large castle. I killed every giant in my way. I made it to the castle and slaughtered the guards. There was a large flat area in the shape of a circle before me. I climbed up the stairs, killing the guards. In the center of the circle, was a large case made of ice. Slowly, I walked towards it. The cold had caused frost to build up on the walls. I brushed some of it off so I could see in and I gasped. She was in there. Her dark green dress was ripped and torn, her shoes gone and replaced her bare feet. A large crimson stain covered her abdomen. Dark blue marks covered her arms and chest, one of her arms twisted abnormally, its bone jutting from the skin and making more blood stain the ice platform she rested on. Her face was what saddened me the most. Her eyes were closed but under them were frozen tracks that ran down her temples into her hair. She was crying when she was put here. Her black hair was fanned out behind her head. I whimpered as I pressed my hands to the glass.

"L-Layla?" I whispered, tears brewing in my eyes. I choked on a sob as I tried to find a way to get her out. The ice was thick and I could hear the battle cries of my comrades behind me. I raised my fist before smashing it down onto the glass. Spider-web cracks sprouted from the impact. I repeated the action until it shattered. My vision was blurring with tears as I broke the wall, trying to make a big enough hole that I can get her small body through. I pulled her out of case and into my arms. She was breathing but just barely. I blinked the tears out of my eyes as I turned around. "I got her!" I shouted to the others.

"Get back! Cover Loki!" Thor shouted. I sprinted past the giants with ease. Due to my heritage, the ice didn't affect my running. I panted as I dashed to where we arrived. Sliding to a stop, I looked behind me to see where the others were. They were gathering around me until they all returned. "Heimdall!" Thor boomed. Hundreds of frost giants were closing in around us. I glanced down at Layla's unconscious form in my arms. My armor was stained with red where my body met hers.

"Hang in there, love." I begged as bright light surrounded us. We flew through the air before we stood in the golden sphere of the Bifrost.

"Is she alive?" Natasha asked.

"Just barely. She needs medical assistance right now." I answered. Spending the last of my strength, I teleported to the infirmary in the palace.

"Help!" I screamed. A group of nurses ran forward as I took her into a room.

"Lay her down. You need to leave." One of them ordered urgently.

"But-"

"No buts, Prince Loki." She interrupted. Reluctantly, I left the large room. Images of Layla's broken body flashed before my eyes. A wave of exhaustion hit me and I nearly collapsed. I braced myself against the wall and slid down to the ground. I held my face in my hands as my head pounded.

"Loki?" a voice called. I looked up teary eyes and saw the blurry figure of someone I've missed very much.

"M-Mother?" I croaked. I pulled myself up and she hugged me tightly. She looked me up and down, noticing the blood on my armor. "A-Are you hurt?" she asked, her eyes wide with fear. I squeezed my eyes shut and shook my head.

"I-It belongs to the girl I love." I managed to get out before sobbing into her hair.

"Loki! How is she?" I heard Thor shout. I pulled away from Mother and saw the Avengers running towards us.

"I-I don't know. They wont let me see her." I stuttered. Natasha leaned into Clint's side; both of them had solemn looks on their faces. The huge door suddenly opened and one of the nurses came out.

"Is she alright?!" I questioned.

"She is alive. We have set her arm but it is broken. We've also wrapped her stomach wound and all the others. She is unconscious but we believe she will survive." She informed.

"C-Can I see her?" I asked softly. She nodded and moved out of the doorway. I hurried into the large room. I moved towards the bed and saw the small figure of the girl I loved. The nurses left to give us some privacy as I sat on the edge of the bed. They put her under many blankets to help her warm up. She was gaining some color back to her pale skin. The dark burns on her neck and chest were wrapped in cloth, some kind of healing salve coating them. Her broken arm rested on her bandaged stomach. I gently took her unbroken and in mine and rested my forehead on our conjoined hands. "Come back to me, Layla." I whispered.

Layla's POV

I heard voices but only saw darkness. At first, they were deep, threatening growls that made my blood run cold in fear. Then they became panicked soft voices. I desperately wanted to scream out to them, begging them to help me. I felt like I was drowning in darkness. I couldn't feel the pain I felt before I blacked out.

"Help!" I screamed into the dark. I fell to my knees with my head in my hands.

"Layla." A voice said. I spun around, expecting to see black but what I did see made my heart stop.

"P-Phil?" I whispered. He smiled softly at me.

"Hey, sweetheart." He replied. I sprinted as fast as I could to him and threw my arms around him.

"I miss you so much." I cried, tears rolling down my cheeks.

"I miss you too." He told me, kissing my forehead.

"Am I dead?" I asked quietly, pulling away.

"That's your decision to make, Layla. You could end all the pain and die, or you can pull through and live." He explained.

"Wow, so stereotypical." I remarked dryly.

"A little bit. Follow me." he instructed.

"Follow you where?" I wondered. Suddenly, the darkness melted away. We were in a huge golden room with a high ceiling and chandelier. My jaw dropped in amazement at the beauty of it. "Where are we?" I asked Phil.

"Look for yourself." He said, pointing behind me. I turned around and gasped. It was me. I was lying in a huge bed. My skin was pale and dark blue cold burns covered my arms and chest. My right arm was wrapped and lay across my chest. I remember breaking it. Thick white bandages were tied around my stomach, blood leaking through. A figure sat at my bedside, holding my limp hand and his eyes were red from crying. "Oh, my god." I whimpered.

"You've been in a coma for almost a month. Loki has barely eaten, slept, hasn't left your side. The other Avengers and their partners live here now. Everyone is just waiting for you to wake up." Phil informed me sadly. I felt tears well up in my eyes as I looked at Loki. He looked completely broken, the glint in his beautiful green eyes long since faded away. I raised my hand to touch his face but it went right through him.

"Oh, Loki." I whimpered, choking up as tears dripped down my cheeks. It pained my heart to see him so broken, so sad.

"It's your choice, Layla. You can stay with the people you love or you can end the pain you've suffered from your entire life." Phil said gently. A glint caught my eye and I looked at my broken arm. Just barely peaking out of the sling, caught by a beam of light, was my engagement ring. The green gem glistened in the light and I remembered the night he proposed. I looked at my broken body and broken fiancée.

"I can't leave him. He's helped me through so much. I have a family, one that actually cares for me." I whispered, turning to him.

"Then, this is goodbye for now." He smiled sadly. I walked over to him and hugged him tightly.

"I'll see you soon, Phil." I cried.

"Not too soon, Lay." He stated before he faded away.

Frohe Weihnachts! 3


	12. Chapter 12

I bolted straight up and was met with intense pain. I yelped as waves of pain and lightheadedness hit me repeatedly.

"You are not yet well enough to move, m'lady." A soft voice said from beside me. My head whipped toward a girl maybe a few years younger than me who gently pushed me back against the pillows.

"W-Who are you?" I croaked.

"My name is Freya, m'lady. I am a healer and I have been caring for your wounds since you've arrived." She told me.

"Thank you." I told her, giving her a small smile. She gave me a shy one in return. Suddenly, she got to her feet and dashed to the huge doors. She opened them and whispered to someone outside before reentering.

"How are you feeling?" she asked me, moving back to my bedside.

"Just sore. What exactly happened to me?" I wondered.

"The prince brought you here, close to death. Your right arm is broken, there were serious burns on your arms and chest, and a moderate wound to your abdomen. We've applied a healing salve to the burns and your stomach and wrapped your arm to prevent any further damage." Freya explained.

"Thank you so much." I said.

"It's my job, m'lady." She shrugged.

"Layla's fine, Freya." I told her.

"O-Okay, Layla." She stuttered. Before I could continue talking to her, the doors burst open. I gasped as I looked over.

"L-Loki?" I breathed. He looked utterly exhausted, deep purple bags under his eyes and his cheekbones looked hollow. His face burst into a huge smile as he ran towards me.

"Layla, by the gods, I'm so glad you're awake!" he explained, sitting on the bed beside me and taking my hand.

"I'm okay, Loki. Just sore." I assured him. Freya got to her feet and stood to the side. Loki's green eyes were rimmed with red. I lifted my good arm and held his face in my hand. His eyes closed as he leant into my hand. "You look terrible." I whispered.

"You don't look so great either, love." He retorted playfully. I rolled my eyes with a smile.

"Where are the others?" I asked.

"They had to get back to Midgard to clean up after the attack." He told me. I nodded in understanding, clutching his hand. "I love you." He whispered, resting his forehead on my hand.

"I love you, too, darling." I replied. He looked up and I leaned forward, kissing him.

"You should get some rest. Freya will help you change and I'll be back in a little while." He told me. He pecked my lips quickly before getting up, Freya replacing him. He smiled at me before shutting the doors behind him. Freya went to a dark brown wardrobe and pulled out a pile of fabric.

"Do you need help standing?" She asked.

"No, I think I got it." I said, pushing back the thick quilts and shakily getting to my feet. She helped me balance myself out and took my arm. She helped me take the gown I was wearing off and into a long, white nightgown. I sat back on the bed and she poured something into a glass.

"Drink this. It'll help you sleep." She said, handing it to me. I took it and drank the contents, which tasted like melted caramel. "If you need anything, just let me know." She told me, making sure I was tucked in and not in pain before leaving. After a few minutes of silence, I looked at my broken arm. I took my hand in the other and investigated my engagement ring. The green gem seemed to wink at me as the light hit it. Smiling, I simply stared at it, getting lost in the green. Exhaustion hit me like a tidal wave and my eyes fluttered close. Before I completely passed out, I felt the bed sink next to me and a familiar arm wrapped around my waist.

"Are you sure you're alright to walk?" Loki asked worriedly as we walked through the grand halls of Asgard.

"I need to get up some time. I'm fine, Loki." I assured him, adjusting the long pale pink gown Freya helped dress me in.

"Fine, I'll trust you. But I am not letting you out of my sight. You can easily get lost here." He warned. I slid my free hand into his and we walked together. "C'mon, I have some people I want you to meet." He told me, leading me outside. The sun was bright and warm on my pale skin. After my eyes adjusted, I saw what seemed to be a training ground. Four people were sparing together until one saw us.

"Loki!" he exclaimed, causing the others to turn and smile.

"Hello, my friends. I think it's about time you meet someone." Loki grinned, stopping in front of them. There was a beautiful woman with dark hair and three men. "Layla, this is Lady Sif, Hogun the Grim, Fandral the Dashing, and Volstagg the Voluminous. Friends, this is my betrothed, Layla Jackson." Loki introduced.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all." I told them, smiling.

"The honor is all ours, Layla. We're glad to see that you are awake." Sif said, smiling.

"Thank you. I'm feeling much better." I informed them.

"That's great to hear! Everyone was worried about you." Volstagg explained. I smiled shyly.

"It was great to see you all but I think we should go visit my family before we head back to Midgard." Loki stated.

"Understood. It was an honor to meet you, Layla." Fandral told me. All of four of them bowed slightly before we walked away.

"Is Thor here too?" I asked as we reentered the palace.

"I'm not really sure. I guess we shall see when we get to the throne room." He said. We walked in silence until we approached a set of huge doors with two guards out front.

"You ready?" Loki asked, as we approached.

"To meet your parents, the king and queen? Definitely." I grinned. He smiled before nodding to the guards. They pulled open the door and I took a deep breath. There was a large throne and three people were at the base of it. Thor saw me first.

"Layla!" he yelled, running forward. I braced for his hug just before he pulled me into his huge arms. My arm jolted in pain but I ignored it, wrapped my other arm around him.

"Hey Thor." I greeted.

"I'm so glad you are awake!" he boomed, gently putting me back down on the ground.

"I'm up and walking. It's good to see ya, Thor." I smiled. He grinned before remembering his parents, who walked over to see why he flipped shit. They both had an aura of majesty to them, their titles fitting them perfectly.

"Mother, Father, this is Layla Jackson, my fiancée. Layla, these are our parents, Odin and Frigga." Loki explained. I bowed slightly, not knowing how to address my future parents in law. Frigga smiled and hugged me gently.

"It's wonderful to finally meet you, Layla. Thor has talked so much about you." She smiled.

"Hopefully only good things." I joked nervously, making her chuckle.

"Of course." She stated, before looking between Loki and I. "Have you two begun planning your wedding?" she wondered. We glanced at each other quickly.

"We haven't really had time to work on it." Loki explained.

"Oh, that's right. Well, don't worry. I will take care of everything." She told me.

"A-Are you sure?" I gasped.

"Of course, my dear! Leave all the planning to me." she ordered with a smile.

"Thank you so much." I grinned, hugging her as tightly as I could. A hand landed on my shoulder and I looked up to see Odin, a faint smile on his face.

"I'm glad Loki has found such a beautiful and strong woman whom he loves so greatly. We will make sure this wedding is worthy of a princess." He promised, smiling. Loki looked shocked at his father's attitude, as did Thor, until his face broke into a grin. He threw his arms around his father, who was surprised at the sudden action.

"Thank you, father." He whispered. Odin slowly hugged back, smiling fondly at his youngest son.

"You're welcome, my son." He replied. I felt my eyes tear up at the scene. They pulled back and turned to their audience.

"Layla, I believe you should go back to Midgard. Tell your family that you are all right and the wedding will be in a fortnight. We will begin planning immediately!" Odin proclaimed, his wrinkled face twisting into a wide smile.

"We shall take our leave, then. It was wonderful to see you again." Loki told his parents.

"And it was an honor to meet you both." I added.

"You, too, my dear. Goodbye!" Frigga called as Loki walked me out the doors, Thor following. We strolled outside and they led me to a beautiful bridge.

"Wow! What is this?" I asked, stepping on it.

"This is the rainbow bridge that leads to the Bifrost: our way of traveling to other realms." Thor explained.

"It's magnificent!" I exclaimed, walking around on it. Loki laughed as I stared down at it in awe.

"Come on, love. Let's go home." He told me, pulling me forward. We got to a large gold building and inside there was a man in gold armor.

"Hello, princes, and future princess. Midgard, I suspect?" he asked, his voice unbelievingly deep.

"Yes, thank you, Heimdal." Loki nodded. He pulled out a long sword and thrust it into an opening, making lightning shoot out. I jumped away and into Loki's chest.

"Hold on, love." He said, wrapping his arms around me.

"Why—" I started before we were pulled off the ground. I held onto him as if my life depended on it as bright, brilliant colors flashed before us. Beyond them, I could see the stars. After a second, it stopped and we were on solid ground again. My arm throbbed slowly as I struggled not to throw up.

"Holy. Shit." I whispered.

"You get used to it, Lay." Thor told me. Once I caught my breath, I checked my surroundings. We were on the roof of the Stark Tower.

"The Avengers are gathered in the penthouse, if you were wondering." JARVIS's voice informed.

"Hello, JARVIS." I called.

"Hello, Layla, good to hear your voice for the first time." He replied politely. We went to the elevator and I smirked, turning invisible just before the doors opened.

"Hello, friends!" Thor boomed, exiting the elevator with Loki. Everyone jumped to their feet. They looked like absolute crap. All of them had bags under their eyes and exhaustion shown on their faces.

"Is there any news on Layla? Is she awake?" Nat questioned, Clint at her side. I turned visible and all eyes turned to me.

"Just a little bit." I joked tiredly. Clint and Nat launched at me, taking me in their arms. Tears gathered in all of our eyes.

"Без перевода. You're awake. I'm so glad you're alive." Natasha cried. They let me go and Bruce pulled me into a hug as well.

"Jesus Christ, Lay. I was so worried about you. We all were." He muttered. Steve came over as well.

"How're ya feeling?" he asked.

"Better now that I'm home." I told him, making him smile and pat my back gently. Tony was last, breaking into sobs before he pulled me into his arms.

"God, Layla, I missed you so much. I-I thought we lost you." He cried into my hair.

"I'm here, Tony. And I don't plan on leaving." I assured him. He let me go and Loki wrapped his arm around my waist once more before turning to the rest of the group.

"So, everyone, here's the plan."


	13. Chapter 13

My stomach was twisting in nervousness as I paced around my room. I tightened my robe around my body and wrapped my hair up in my towel again. Because of the healing salve Freya used, my arm didn't need to be wrapped anymore, allowing my hands to anxiously wring themselves together. My heart was pounding against my ribs as I waited in anticipation. A knock sounded against my door and I almost sprinted to answer. Outside stood, Natasha, Pepper, Jane, Sharon, and Juliet.

"Layla!" They screamed, pushing me back into the room.

"Guys!" I replied, hugging them all.

"Ok, lets get our beautiful bride ready!" Pepper said, dropping the bags of stuff we got at home.

"God, guys I'm so nervous." I gasped, feeling like I was going to have an anxiety attack.

"It's going to be fine, Lay. You're marrying the guy you love!" Nat reassured me, hugging me tightly. I took a deep breath and nodded, telling them I was good.

"Hair time." Juliet smirked. They dragged me to my vanity and sat me down. She pulled out a battery powered hair curler and got to work. After she finished, Nat did my makeup and Jane did my nails.

"Thank you guys so much for helping me. And for being my bridesmaids." I told them.

"You're our best friend, Lay! Of course we will help you on your big day!" Shanon grinned. After a few hours, all I needed to go was get dressed. Natasha helped me into my dress and zipped it up. I turned to the girls and they all gasped. The gown had a massive, tulle skirt, embellished at the waist with small rhinestones. The bodice had little silver flowers scattered around and the upper chest and sleeves were made of floral lace. Silver jewelry accented the look and smoky eyes brought out the green of my eyes. Juliet curled and pulled my hair into a half-up-do, holding my dark curls with a beautiful headpiece.

"Oh my god, Layla. You look absolutely stunning." Nat cried. There was a knock on the door and Jane went to answer it.

"Oh, um, hello, sir." She said, obviously surprised. I turned to see Odin, as regal as always. I saw in his eyes, well, eye, that there was something going on.

"Girls, could you get dressed please? I'll meet with you in a little bit." I told the girls. They nodded and grabbed their knee-length, white bridesmaid dresses and left.

"I have something I must tell you, child," he told me, sitting me down.

"W-What is it?" I asked nervously.

"Loki is a god, an immortal while you are a mortal. He will outlive you and doom himself to living the rest of his life in heartbreak." he explained. Forcing my gaze down, I felt the back of my eyes begin to burn. He's right. I'll eventually die and he'll be alone. Fear and doubt began to trump the excitement of my marrying Loki. I would not—could not—let him feel such pain. Was marrying him a good idea? Like Odin said, I am still just a mortal. My life is the blink of an eye in Asgardian terms.

"W-What do I do?" I wondered, my voice cracking.

"There is a way that you two can be together for centuries. But it comes with a cost." He began slowly.

"And that is?" I encouraged, looking back at him.

"You become a goddess yourself. But you will become immortal and there is no way to reverse that. You will never age, you will have an immortal life with the man you love, but your family on Midgard will and will eventually wither away and die. I understand that this will be a difficult decision to make but I have to encourage you to consider it."

The girls ushered me outside the throne room to where Tony was waiting to walk me down the aisle. What Odin suggested weighed in my heart but I pushed it aside, refusing to think about it just minutes before I get married.

"Lay, you look incredible." Tony gushed, hugging me tightly.

"Thanks, Tony." I smiled as the girls snuck into the room.

"You ready for this?" He asked me.

"Yup, let's do this." I grinned. He leaned over and kissed my head in a fatherly way before the guards prepared to open the doors.

"Here we go." I whispered, taking Tony's arm as the doors opened. I nearly gasped in amazement at how many people were there. There were undoubtedly hundreds, maybe thousands, of people and it was decorated beautifully. We began to walk forward and I spotted Loki, completely dressed in his armor and horned helmet. Natasha, as my maid of honor, stood beside Frigga and on the opposite side, Thor was in his armor as Loki's best man. The other Avengers stood on the sidelines. Smiling, I met Loki's eyes and held his gaze until I stood in front of him. He grinned down at me, his green eyes twinkling. Odin began speaking but I didn't hear. I was too distracted with the man in front of me.

"Bring forth the rings." He ordered. Natasha and Thor both stepped forward and handed Loki and I each other's rings. "You will speak your vows." Odin said, looking at Loki to start.

"Layla, when I first met you, I thought of myself as a monster. But, then, you stepped forward and you introduced yourself to me. You showed me that I wasn't a monster. You were the most beautiful, most passionate, and caring person I had ever met. I love you with all my heart, Layla Jackson, and I want to spend every day of the rest of my life with you." Loki spoke, sliding the silver band onto my finger. I blinked the happy tears out of my eyes before beginning.

"Loki Laufeyson, when I first met you, I didn't believe in love. I thought I was going to be alone forever. But then, I found you. You became my anchor, the one who kept me sane. You helped me find my voice and helped me out of the darkness I was trapped in. I love you with every bit of my soul, Loki, and I want to spend forever with you." I finished. He smiled down at me, tears going down his cheeks as I put his ring on his finger.

"I, Odin Allfather, declare Loki Laufeyson and Layla Jackson husband and wife." Odin declared. I leapt forward and kissed my husband passionately. The crowd roared in cheers as I wrapped my arms around Loki's neck. I pulled back and smiled up at him. He kissed me again before taking my hand and leading me towards our friends. I hugged everyone, a lot of them crying. Tony held up the phone he brought.

"Everyone. Together." He ordered. Loki wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me close as everyone gathered around us. "1, 2, 3!" Tony counted down before snapping the picture. Frigga and Odin approached. Frigga had blurry eyes before hugging both of us tightly. I looked up at my husband, smiling brightly at his mother. I can't leave him. Not now, or ever. I turned to Odin, and gave him a single nod.

I apologize for how short this is. Not cool on my part but I think what's next will kind of make up for it ;)


	14. Epilogue

I held my year old son in my arms as Loki wrapped his arm around me. I leaned back into his chest as I looked at my sleeping child. Soft dark hair covered his scalp, his gentle features absolutely adorable as he slept.

"Our little Aren." I whispered, smiling up at my husband.

"Our little prince," He murmured. Loki kissed Aren's forehead and then my lips. It's been three years since we became husband and wife. Three years since I became the goddess of magic. In the first year of our marriage, I gave birth to perfect black-haired twins, Eir and Raoul. They both acquired magic. Raoul, a sweet but curious little boy, gained ice powers like his father. Eir, who was a mischievous but caring girl, got the power of teleportation. Thinking of them invoked a surge of pride and happiness at our children.

"M-Mommy? Daddy?" a small voice called. We both looked towards our door to see two small figures standing just inside the room. I could see that Raoul was clutching the hem of Eir's nightgown, a habit he picked up early on.

"What is it, Raoul? Eir?" Loki asked gently as they stepped into view.

"We couldn't sleep. Can we sleep with you tonight?" Raoul asked.

"Of course. Come over here, darlings." I cooed. The two three-year-olds ran over and leapt onto the bed. Eir's eyes glowed dimly as she crawled over. I lay Aren down in between Loki and I as Raoul laid down into my chest and Eir against her father's. "I love you, Raoul. I love you, Eir. I love you, Aren. And I love you, Loki." I listed, kissing my family one at a time.

"I wove you too Mommy." The kids repeated.

"I wove you, as well, Layla." Loki smiled, pressing his lips to mine. There we lay, cuddling all together as a family. My eyes drifted to their sleeping faces. Sometimes, it seemed so surreal. My younger self would never have believed that in a few years, I would have a loving husband, perfect children, and a beautiful and worthwhile life. I closed my eyes, a smile on my face.

This was my life.

And it was everything I ever dreamed of.

 _The End_

Welcome to the end of "Silently Tormented"! I wrote this when I was a freshman in high school and now, I am two months away from graduating. I am honored to have been able to republish this story and to get so many reviews and favorites and follows. I appreciate and love each and every one of you and I thank you all for the support.

With all of the love in the world, I await our next meeting 3


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